Keeping It On The Field
by Sounni
Summary: Lois returns from Star City and decides to cut her losses and move on with her life. Will Clark realise what is right in front of him before another man takes it away?
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Keeping It On The Field

**Summary: **Lois returns from Star City with a resolve to move on. Will Clark not realise what he has until it's another mans?

**Disclaimer:** I only wish I owned Smallville and all of it's characters

**AN:** This is my first Smallville fic. A collaborative effort with my sister, this story begins at the end of Hex and will become it's own AU.

* * *

Creak.

The chair groaned each time she pushed back on it, a small smirk gracing her face as she watched the irritated glare that was being directed her way.

Lois Lane continued to create the grating sound, imitating the exact gesture the man across from her had bestowed nearly a year earlier. Back then she had had no idea of the impact working with Clark Kent would have on her life and her career. When Lois had first met Clark nearly 5 years ago, she would never in her wildest dreams have thought that their relationship would have progressed so far. She realised that under all the snipping, bickering and banter laid a much deeper and dangerous connection and that scared her.

Lois knew that she buried feelings deep behind a wall that she had carefully erected ever since she was a little girl. She'd only recently realising that Clark had somehow been slowly chipping away and had actually managed to breach her defences. Lois thought back to several moments when she'd needed to cleverly cover up holes in her defences with witty sarcasm as not to allow herself to be hurt. It hadn't worked though; she had managed to become hurt more than she would admit to even herself. In an unexpected moment of weakness at the wedding she had felt herself become swept up in the romance and had felt her face moving in towards Clark's. The moment had been easily interrupted by the return of Lana Lang and Lois had felt like the bottom of her world had dropped out. For one moment she had actually thought that someone had needed her but it turned out she had been wrong.

Lois knew that when she had left for Star City it wasn't just for Jimmy's sake, it had also been for her own. After witnessing how Clark had been with Lana at the hospital, she wasn't sure if she could hang around to watch how the Lana saga played out this time. As she creaked back in the chair again, Lois realised that being in Star City for over a month had actually helped her gain perspective.

Glancing slyly across at Clark, she watched as he attempted to continue his work whilst ignoring her actions. Lois knew that she would never fully know what had transpired between Lana and Clark whilst she had been AWOL but from what a certain little blonde source had told her it hadn't ended happily and not from Clark's choice. Hearing this had made Lois's heart sink but had also reinvigorated her resolve to move on from whatever this messy attraction between her and Clark was. He obviously did not feel the same connection she had and though she knew she wasn't exactly high on his priority list she had at least thought this thing between them was two-sided.

Lois was knocked out of her thoughts by an irritated Clark, "Is there something on your mind, Lois?"

Shaking her head, Lois merely smiled and stood up from her seat and started gathering her belongings together. Grabbing her keys and purse she shoved them inside of her handbag.

Clark also stood and moved closer towards her. A hint of aftershave assailed her nose and she shook her head to remind herself that she had places to be.

"Big night?" Clark asked from behind her.

"Yeah, a guy in first class asked me out and I figured why not."

Clark's eyes narrowed slightly and he shrugged, "eh."

The two stood in an awkward silence for what seemed like hours, until Lois spoke up.

"What about you? Any big plans?"

Clark shook his head, "Nah, I'm just going to hang around and follow up on some leads."

A few moments passed before he spoke again, "Do you want me to call you if anything comes up?"

Lois closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, '_now's the time to do it Lois'_

"No. I've already been stood up by you Smallville."

Lois watched as Clark winced at being reminded of their unofficial coffee date to talk about what had "almost" happened and him consequently not showing up. She heard Clark clear his throat and knew that he was about to try and explain.

Clark took a moment to try and piece together an explanation of why he had not shown at the coffee house but Lois cut him off.

"The whole idea was a mistake."

Clark felt his eyes shoot straight to hers, "I say we just chalk this up as an office thrown together sparks in the trenches thing."

He knew she was giving him an out and at that moment he decided to take it, he didn't know where he stood and needed time to figure it out.

"Agreed." Clark nodded.

Lois smiled, "Okay. Back to basics, keep the game on the field."

They both knew that this attraction between them could be just a by-product of them working so closely together every day and decided to attribute it as such.

Lois threw her curls back and pulled her handbag over head to rest on her shoulder.

"I'll see you tomorrow then Smallville," Lois threw over her shoulder as she walked towards the exit.

Clark gave a slight smile and a tiny wave before flopping back down into his work chair. He had several leads he should be following up but for some reason he felt both confused and another emotion he just couldn't quite put his finger on. Deciding he wasn't in the mood for work he pulled his police scanner out and elected instead to patrol the streets for a couple of hours.

TBC

Next chapter – We meet Lois's date


	2. Chapter 2

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AN: Thanks for all the reviews!!! I too was surprised at the lack of stories based after Hex. Anyways here is the next chapter!  


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Another dress joined the pile on the floor and Lois groaned in frustration. Deciding she couldn't take the stress of finding the perfect outfit anymore she grabbed the next coat hanger and stared at it. A deep green cocktail dress stared back at her and though maybe a little to dressy for this date she thought '_why not'_.

Lois threw a glance over to the wall clock and muttered an expletive when she realised she was going to be late. Thinking about her date made her smile as she pulled on the dress. She had met Tom the flight back to Metropolis and had immediately been attracted to him. Standing at over 6 foot, with gleaming dark hair and eyes you could just drown in Tom was a fine example of the male species. She hadn't been able to resist saying yes when he had asked her out.

Shaking out her hair, Lois watched the curls bounce as they fell around her face. Giving herself a once over and deciding that she would do, Lois grabbed her purse and headed for the Italian restaurant that Tom was meeting her at.

* * *

Clark was staring blankly into his computer screen, having given up on work hours ago. So far he tonight he had a total of 5 rescues, 3 muggings and 2 robberies. Yet he still felt empty and confused. Usually patrolling the streets of Metropolis gave him a satisfaction like no other but tonight it just wasn't doing it for him.

His eyes drifted from the screen to the nameplate opposite him, Lois Lane.

How could he even begin to describe his relationship with her? One thing Clark did have to admit was that she was a constant in his life, when one or more things went awry Lois was always there. Though nothing romantic had ever happened between the two, it was there between them an attraction that several people in his life had commented on. Since Clark had known Lois, there had always been Lana as a seemingly third side to an invisible triangle. Recently he had allowed himself to explore his attraction to Lois with it nearly culminating as a kiss at Chloe's wedding.

Clark closed his eyes as he tried to remember that exact moment when he had stopped dancing, had felt Lois' hand on his chest and had simply leant in. Clark couldn't even begin to imagine how different the last couple of months would have been had his lips simply connected with Lois'. They hadn't and Lana had come storming back into his life.

Unfinished business.

When Lana had re-entered his life, it had reopened old wounds that had not healed properly. He had thought that they could just pick up where they had left off and nobody would get hurt. He had been wrong. Without even realising it, he had hurt Lois. Granted that this thing between them was unrecognised, it was still there nonetheless.

There were so many unanswered questions plaguing his thoughts, would he have felt different if Lois had never left? Would his relationship with Lana have lasted had she stayed? Things with Lana had never been easy and the on/off nature of their relationship had always been trying. The answers to these questions he would never know because Lana was never coming back.

Today had shown him that his work as the infamous 'Red Blue Blur' was an important part of who he was but that it also kept him from sharing himself completely with people. Lois was an integral part of his life yet he needed to keep her at a distance in order to keep her safe. However, both Lois and trouble have minds of their own and they were constantly gravitating towards each other.

Clark's thoughts were broken when he heard the scanner crackle, "All units are advised that there is a 211 in progress between 21st and Bronwyn."

Grabbing his jacket, he super sped out of the Dailey Planet building.

* * *

Lois smoothed her hands against her thighs under the table and smiled at her dining partner.

"So what does the Daily Planet's most intrepid reporter do when she is not sniffing out a story?"

Lois quirked an eyebrow and tilted her head slightly, "I'm always sniffing out new stories."

Tom Jacobs simply shook his head and gave a laugh, "I should have known."

Lois's next comment was interrupted by a waitress removing their dinner plates and the Maitre D approached the table.

"Is there anything else I can help you with? Coffee? Dessert?" Tom glanced across at Lois and she shook her head slightly.

"No thank you. Can we just have the bill please?" The man nodded and moved away from the table.

"How about we go for a walk and see where that leads us?" Lois suggested.

Tom smiled, "Sure."

* * *

Clark glanced at his father's watch and noticed that it was only 11.00pm. After arriving at the 211 he had quickly stopped the robbery and left the police to handle the assailants. Patrol had quietened down soon after and he decided to head back to the Planet to tie up some lose ends before heading back to the farm.

The night air was crisp, yet not chillingly so and Clark decided a walk would be good in clearing away the cobwebs forming in his head. Super speeding to about a block away from the Planet he began walking.

* * *

"This place makes the best coffee in all of Metropolis" Lois stated before ushering Tom into one of the seats outside of the Cafe. They had only been walking for half an hour and had wound up near the Daily Planet. Lois wondered if she had directed them unconsciously in this direction and more specifically to this cafe, the same one Clark had never showed up to.

Tom's words broke her thoughts, "I guess being a reporter you'd be addicted to the stuff?"

"What?" Lois asked confused.

"Coffee."

Letting out a laugh, Lois nodded vigorously. "Definitely, I think sometimes without it I wouldn't make it through the day."

Giving Tom her best recommendation the waitress took their order and was back within a few short minutes. Letting the tantalising aroma fill the air, Lois sucked in a deep breath pulling as much of the scent as she could into her lungs.

"Addiction." Tom remarked slyly.

Lois lifted her mug and answered, "You have no idea."

Her date with Tom had far outweighed her expectations and she was actually astonished at how well they seemed to get along. There was none of the unnecessary tension or bickering that she had come to associate to her relationship with Clark.

Clark.

Releasing a sigh, Lois released that maybe she had brought Tom to her favourite coffee shop in order to banish thoughts of Clark.

Lois' eyes drifted to the street behind Tom and she noticed the man in her thoughts approaching them. Flinching slightly, she groaned.

"What's wrong?" Tom asked worriedly.

"We're about to be ambushed."

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Sorry for the shortness of this chapter but I wanted to get it out of the way before moving on with the story. Hope you enjoy anyway!

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"Ambushed?" Tom's brows furrowed as he tried to understand what Lois was saying.

Lois pursed her lips together and with a flick of her head indicated behind him. Tom glanced around and saw nothing unusual. A couple holding hands and eating ice cream and a tall man in a red jacket were both walking up the street towards them.

Turning back around to Lois he shrugged, "I'm not following?"

Lois just leant back in her seat, "Just wait for it."

* * *

Clark had been enjoying the relative quietness of his walk. Rounding a corner near the Daily Planet, he heard a laugh pierce the air and felt his heartbeat quicken its pace if only slightly.

He'd know that laugh anywhere.

Lois.

Glancing around for the source of the laugh, Clark spotted her at the cafe that had become one of her regular haunts. A smile lit up his face and he started to march over towards her but slowed his steps down when he caught a glimpse of a dark haired head.

Lois wasn't alone.

'_She must still be on her date.'_

His mind dredged up the information almost involuntarily.

Clark knew that leaving before she noticed him was the proper course of action but his feet weren't listening as they propelled him forwards.

Approaching the couple, Clark stopped by the side of their table. His eyes immediately shot to Lois. She had her hair flowing freely around her shoulders and a dress on that left little to the imagination but still remained tactful.

Beautiful. His attraction to Lois was not in doubt. It was everything else in his mess of a life.

"Lois, fancy seeing you here."

His eyes bounced back and forth between her and the man sitting across from her. It hadn't escaped Clark's attention that Lois had brought her date to the same coffee shop that he had stood her up at a fortnight ago. His eyes caught hers and he wondered if in that moment she was thinking the same thing.

"Smallville," She hissed, clearly annoyed.

"Aren't you going to introduce us?"

"Sure. Tom this is Clark Kent. Clark, Tom." Lois used both her hands to indicate at the men she was speaking about.

Tom rose out of his chair and extended his hand out to Clark.

"Nice to meet you," he commented as Clark grabbed his hand a little abruptly and began to squeeze more than shake.

Tom began to wince slightly at the firmness of the handshake but did not release his grip either.

Lois noticed the seemingly unconscious battle between the two men and shot Clark a dirty look, whilst simultaneously attempting to kick his from under the table. She knew she had succeeded when his eyes shot to hers and he suddenly dropped Tom's hand and shoved both of his into his jean pockets.

"What are you doing out here anyway Smallville? Not chasing a lead without me?" Lois questioned, eyes narrowing.

Clark swallowed, "Nope, just getting some fresh air before I drive home."

He knew that he needed to leave before the situation became any more awkward than it already was. It was one thing knowing Lois was on a date but another thing entirely becoming part of it.

He turned to Lois' companion, "Nice meeting you Tom." He turned back to face Lois, "Sorry if I interrupted anything."

Lois raised her eyebrows and nodded, knowing full well that he knew he had interrupted something.

Clark smiled slightly, "I'll see you at work tomorrow."

Lois watched his retreating back for a few moments before turning her attention back to Tom.

"A bit intense isn't he."

Lois laughed out loud, "You don't know the half of it."

TBC

Next chapter has out intrepid reporters chasing a big new lead. Also the introduction of some more Smallville's finest.


	4. Chapter 4

Biting down on her lip as her eyes scanned the screens mounted on the wall in front of her Chloe Sullivan rubbed her eyes in frustration.

Sifting through information had been so much easier when she'd had a mega boosted brain capacity courtesy of Brainiac. Granted things had been so much faster to accomplish but Chloe knew she would never wish to be in that situation again.

Since becoming a legitimate member of the Justice League, she'd been juggling so many different things in her life and the stress of it all was building up.

Chloe felt a small gush of wind hit the back of her neck and a smile graced her face. Next thing she knew a hand was reaching over her shoulder and offering her a cardboard cup. Her smile widened and her hand quickly reached up and snatched the cup out of the offending hand.

Taking a small sip, Chloe whipped her head around.

"Almond mocha with extra whip! How you know me."

"I can't have my sidekick go without her daily caffeine fix." Clark tried to keep a straight face before breaking out into a smile.

Chloe shook her head before getting serious, "I've cross-checked all that information you gave me but still nothing. It's like it just fell off the face of the planet."

"Before the Fortress darkened Jor-El warned me about Doomsday. Brainiac also told me it was the ultimate destroyer, bred to kill. We need to find it." Clark's brow furrowed as thought about the potential danger.

Chloe watched as the weight of the world seemed to settle on Clark's shoulders. After everything he had already faced, a new challenge would present itself and Clark would yet again do everything in his power to overcome it.

"So we have nothing?"

Swivelling around in her chair, Chloe jumped up and started rummaging through a nearby desk.

"I wouldn't say nothing. A series of bodies have been appearing, no apparent connection to each other and no pattern in the way they were killed. "

Clark looked confused and opened his mouth to talk but Chloe raised her hand, "Wait. The only similarity between victims is that they have all committed some crime."

She indicated the file, "This man was a drunk driver who killed a family, this one held up a store at gunpoint and this one was a mugger."

"Wait, wasn't this the drunk driver that Jimmy saw Davis kill?" Clark questioned.

"Apparently." Chloe replied sceptically.

Clark glared at her, "What? I thought we had already rehashed this a million times, it couldn't have been Davis."

Clark shrugged, "I wouldn't discount Jimmy, something about Davis Bloome just doesn't add up."

He rarely instantly disliked anyone but when he had met Davis something seemed a little off. Add to that the fact that it seemed Davis' mission in life to separate Chloe and Jimmy.

Chloe used her teeth to pull her bottom lip into her mouth, scraping against the soft flesh.

"I'll keep digging see if we can't find some more information."

Clark nodded, "So how is Jimmy? Are you talking with each other yet?"

Chloe shook her head, "Aside from a few emails, not a peep."

Deciding to deflect the conversation, she tried to change the subject.

"What about you and Lois?"

"Huh?"

Chloe had to bite back a grin; she knew that Lois had had a date the previous night and wanted to see how the Kryptonian felt about it.

"Do you have to spill all of my secrets to her?" Clark asked asked refering to Chloe giving away the fact the he had framed 'Lois's Rules of Reporting.'

"Well not ALL of your secrets, just the ones that add a little zing." She laughed moving back to grab her coffee.

"We mutually decided that whatever is...was going on between us was just a product of being forced together at work." Clark told Chloe in a matter of fact way.

Chloe's eyebrows raised and she shot a look that she hoped reeked of scepticism, "Really? So it doesn't bother you that she went out on a date last night?"

She noticed that Clark was suddenly glancing at the floor as if it were made of gold, "No, it doesn't bother me. Why would it?"

Chloe snorted and shook her head in disbelief, this was becoming ridiculous. She understood that he might need some time but denying even the attraction between him and Lois was crazy.

Chloe hadn't even realised that Clark was talking, "...seemed nice enough to me but maybe you could do a check on him just to make sure."

"Wait, back up. Firstly, you met him?"

Clark gave a short nod, not wanting to divulge too much detail. Chloe seemed to understand that he didn't want to talk about it because she continued talking, "Secondly, Lois would kill me if she found out that I was running background checks on her new boyfriend. The pain would be even worse for you."

"I just want to make sure that she hasn't attracted another psychopath." Clark murmured sombrely.

"Are you sure that's the only reason?" Chloe questioned.

Clark nodded fervently, "What other reason could there be?"

Pursing her lips together Chloe shook her head, "None I guess."

Looking confused Clark just stared at her. Chloe threw her hands into the air, "I give up."

* * *

"Coffee Miss Lane."

Lois smiled and accepted the steaming mug. "Thanks."

Taking a tentative sip before placing the mug on the table, Lois turned back to her monitor.

A string of bodies had been showing up in Metropolis, all killed within the last month and all between the hours of 10pm and 6am. Though there was no connection, Lois didn't believe it was a coincidence. Sure there were a lot of murders in Metropolis but there was a feeling in her gut that told her there was more to this than meets the eye. If there was one thing that had been drilled into her as a child it was to always follow the Lane instincts. She was going to have to go down to the coroner's office and see what she could dig up there.

Lois' eyes flitted to the empty desk opposite her and wondered where the Boy Scout was. After their discussion at the Planet the night before Lois thought it would be easy to purge thoughts of Clark Kent from her mind but he was still there, lurking around the edges.

"Lois Lane?" A woman's voice asked.

Lois turned and noticed a delivery lady, "Yes."

"These are for you," the woman replied putting a massive bunch of flowers and vase onto Lois' desk.

The fragrance being admitted by the flowers was strong but not nauseating and Lois noticed a note sitting on top. Plucking it from its resting place she opened it slowly.

_I had a great time. How's Thursday at 7 sound?_

_T_

Lois smiled. She'd had a wonderful time last night with Tom bar the awkward minutes when Clark had interrupted them. Tom had been the perfect gentleman, dropping her off at home and leaving without even attempting to con a goodnight kiss out of her which she had appreciated. Thursday at seven started to sound really good.

Lois grabbed her bag and keys, she needed to get a start on this story before somebody else realised what a goldmine it was.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

"Kent. Lane. Tess Mercer wants to see you in her office immediately."

Lois immediately jumped to her feet and attempted to brush the creases out of her skirt. Though she had been to Tess's office numerous times the woman was still a little intimidating. Clark didn't seem to be in as much a hurry as she was and was still lazing in his chair, tie loose and shirt unbuttoned slightly.

"Smallville. Usually when the big boss calls, we run."

Clark looked to Lois who had moved to his side of the desk so that she was standing directly beside him, "Sorry, my mind was elsewhere."

"Up!" Lois directed in a stern voice. Clark just smirked; the dynamic between them seemed to be returning to normal.

Lois watched as Clark rose to his feet and without even second guessing herself she took a step closer, reaching out for his tie.

Clark watched as Lois moved closer and was puzzled until he felt her hands on his tie and ultimately his chest. She hadn't been this close to him since the fateful dance that had gotten him into all of this mess. Clark swallowed and tried not to look down at her, trying instead to focus his attention across the room. He knew how to do his own tie but was enjoying the proximity to Lois a little too much.

Lois finished fixing his tie but left her hand resting on his chest, just above his heart. She knew she had no excuse to keep it their but felt she needed the tactile sensation. Biting her lip she looked up at Clarks face at the exact moment he chose to look down. Her own eyes seemed to catch with his and drawn like a bug to light, she couldn't pull her eyes away. The connection she had tried so hard to severe started to re-emerge.

Clark was a little confused by all of the emotions running through him as he stared into Lois's eyes. Was this attraction just a result of work? He didn't think so. The moment was soon broken when he heard Lois clear her throat, breaking eye contact with him and stepping away.

Turning on her heel, she began striding away. "Are you coming Smallville?"

* * *

Tess Mercers' office was located on the top floor, along with other executive suites. The elevator ride was tense and Lois looked everywhere but at Clark.

Ushered into Tess's office without delay, Clark noticed the woman in question standing by the window.

"Mr Kent. Miss Lane, Please take a seat. I have a story I want you to follow up on."

"I'm already working on a story." Lois interjected.

"Put it on the back burner, this takes precedent."

Lois looked over at Clark and noticed that he wore the same mask of curiosity that she must have on.

There have been a string of arson attacks both on Luthorcorp holdings and on those that we deal with. Police have yet to find any strong suspects. I want you two to use you investigative skills to uncover whatever you can about these arson attacks. Someone is targeting these holdings and I want to know. All the information you need is in the folders in front of you." Tess finished speaking as she sat down in her chair.

"Why us?" Clark questioned her.

"You work well together and always get the job done." Tess told them.

Clark gave a quick nod of the head and turned to look at Lois. Having already grabbed the folder off the desk Lois was flipping through it.

"Great. Let me know what you find." Tess nodded and indicated to the door.

Lois stood and strode out. Clark watched her go; it was going to be one long week.

* * *

Lois and Clark had mutually decided that they would spend the afternoon sifting through the files that Tess had given them. Deciding to avoid any awkward conversation, Lois had returned to her apartment only to be greeted shortly after by a guest.

"So...." the voice trailed off.

Lois glanced up from where she was sitting with the files spread around her on the floor. She directed a questioning glance at her cousin, "So...what?"

"What's with the smoke and mirrors routine?"Chloe asked, knowing that she probably wouldn't get any straight answers from Lois about where Clark stood in her life at the moment.

"Sorry?"

"Is this Tom guy for real?" Chloe asked.

Lois's brows furrowed and all pretence of working was shot out the window, "Excuse me?"

Chloe smiled a little shakily knowing she was approaching out of bounds territory. Lois was usually an open book for her but anything to do with her relationship with Clark she usually remained coy about.

"Well, one minute it seemed you were quite taken by a certain farm boy but then like that," Chloe raised her arm and clicked her fingers to emphasise her point, "you seemed to have moved on. I just wanted you to know that you can talk to me. I might be Clark's best friend but I'm your cousin first."

Lois smiled, a tinge of sadness etched in her face.

"I know. Clark and I just seemed to get so complicated so fast and I still don't know how to describe where our relationship really stands. I thought for a moment at your wedding that maybe...just maybe I had a chance."

Chloe nodded knowing exactly what Lois was doing, protecting herself. Lois felt like Clark had burnt her and she probably wasn't far off the mark. In the months leading up to the wedding the sexual chemistry between the two reporters had become extremely palpable that it was almost painful to watch. Chloe smiled as she thought about Jimmy and how he kept trying to push them together but they were both stubborn and somewhat in denial.

"Then Lana came back." Chloe finally spoke.

Lois nodded, "I've seen so much of that soap opera that I already knew what the result was going to be and I wasn't wrong."

"So you did what you always do?" Chloe asked.

Glancing at the floor and then back to Chloe, Lois nodded again.

"I moved on."

Chloe shook her head a little, "But you haven't, not fully anyway."

Lois snorted, "Tom is not a rebound. I genuinely have an interest in him."

Lois thought back to that morning at the Daily Planet, "but sometimes all it will take is one look from Smallville and the feelings I have tried to bury come rushing back."

Chloe nodded, knowing exactly what Lois meant. "So are you going to give away any second chances?"

Lois sighed, "Clark always seems to hold a part of himself back Chlo and I can't have another relationship with someone who can't be completely open and honest with me."

Chloe knew that Clark had no intention of telling Lois his secret at least for the time being in order to keep her safe. He had a somewhat misguided belief that anyone who knew his secret was destined to a life of misery and danger. He had been proven right in the past but that was meaningless, wasn't it? Were those closest to him like Lois or even Jimmy always destined not to know? Chloe knew that Clark's secret was a factor as to why his relationship with Lana had always been so shaky. He was afraid to let himself love again.

On this topic Chloe knew that she had to side with Lois, Clark had caused a lot of hurt to her cousin. Chloe could guess that a lot of that hurt stemmed from the re-emergence of Lana Lang and the way that Clark had seemingly 'forgotten' that Lois even existed.

Deciding to prod just a little further Chloe asked, "So what is status quo?"

"I've chalked everything up to us being thrown together at work and spending so much time together. We've agreed to keep everything on the field."

"And Tom?"

"It's our third date tomorrow night."

Chloe smirked; she couldn't wait until Clark found out.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

**Here is the newest chapter. Hope it still makes sense and everyone is still enjoying! Thanks for all the kind reviews!**

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Stretching her arms above her head, Lois leant back in her chair and yawned.

"Anything?" she questioned the man sitting across from her.

Clark looked up from the piles of paperwork in front of him and shrugged, "A couple of dead ends but nothing concrete. You?"

Lois gave a quick shake of her head, "According to the reports the accelerant was the same in each of the fires but no trace evidence has been found that has lead to any suspects. The only thing that might give us an edge is trying to determine if there is a common link between all of the arson sites and tracing it back that way."

Clark nodded, "Good thinking."

Glancing down at his watch, he looked back up at Lois.

"It's too late now to follow up any of these leads but tomorrow morning bright and early."

Clark began gathering up his papers and methodically organising them. Taking a deep breath he stopped what he was doing and looked at the brunette sitting across from him.

"Lois..." clearing his throat, he continued, "you wanna grab something to eat?"

Lois's eyes met his and she cursed, "Crap."

Clark's eyes narrowed and he nervously chuckled, "I didn't think having dinner with me was going to be that bad."

She put her hand up to stop him from talking anymore, "No Clark you don't understand, I have a date with Tom that..." checking the clock on her computer monitor, "is meant to start in half an hour and I look and probably smell appalling."

Clark's eyes drifted from Lois's head, down her body to her feet and back up again. "If he thinks you look bad then he probably needs to get his eyes checked."

Lois cracked a half smile, "Why thanks Smallville, is that a compliment."

"No. I mean...uh,"

"Relax." Lois laughed.

"So this thing with Tom is serious?" Clark questioned as he felt his stomach ball into knots. He wasn't actually sure if he wanted to know the answer to the question. He didn't know why Lois dating someone seemed to be bothering him so much.

Clark watched as Lois's eyebrows raised and her eyes narrowed as if she were trying to figure him out which she no doubt was.

"For your FYI it's our third date." Lois didn't know why but she was suddenly irritated by Clark's nosiness.

"Oh, so all the flowers and gifts arriving..." Clark trailed off. He had noticed the gifts on her desk and presumed they were from Lois's new 'friend' but he had never seen a note.

"From Tom." Lois confirmed. "Look Smallville, I'd love to stay and chit chat but I've got to go and get beautiful for my date."

"Do you need a lift?" Clark asked after a moment.

Lois shook her head, "Nope. I'll see you tomorrow morning bright and early."

* * *

Clark pulled the truck into its normal resting place and jumped out. It was so much more convenient and less time consuming to use his super sped but today had necessitated the use of the truck.

A familiar bark echoed and Clark watched as a sandy coloured dog raced towards him, "Hey boy."

Crouching down so that he was level with Shelby, Clark affectionately rubbed his head.

"Let's go get you some food."

Placing his work notes on the bench he glared at them for a moment. Two whole days they had been working together and though they sometimes collaborated on stories they were not technically partners and did not sit in each other's pockets. Lois liked to do things her way and Clark also had his own approach so working together in such close proximity was dredging up thoughts about Lois that Clark didn't think he could admit to himself, let alone out loud.

As he was scooping food into Shelby's bowl, the familiar buzz of his phone vibrated in his pocket.

"Hello,"

"Clark, are you home?" Chloe asked in an out of breath voice.

"Yes, why?"

"I've found something out about the bodies that we need to talk about, Oliver and I are coming over." Chloe finished before abruptly ending the call.

_The bodies._

Clark had been so busy working on his story with Lois that he had forgotten that he had asked Chloe to do some digging on Doomsday. That wasn't like him, to just forget something important like that. An image of a certain stubborn brunette filled his head and he realised just why he had forgotten.

The crisp night air had Lois wrapping her arms around her body as Tom walked her up the stairs to her apartment block. She'd had yet another wonderful time but the entire night there had been this niggling in the back of her mind. Yet to put a finger on exactly the cause, she had a feeling that it was a certain farm boy/reporter that just wouldn't leave her alone.

Rummaging around in her bag for her keys, Lois smiled triumphantly and dangled them in front of Tom.

"So...Coffee?" Tom suggested, hoping for an invite.

Lois knew that after three amazing dates that maybe she should allow him to kiss her, invite him upstairs so they could chat some more. To be honest she didn't know if she was ready to become intimate with him. _Only making out at this stage, _she told herself sternly. Though she was continuously spouting on about moving on, Chloe was right she hadn't completely gotten there just yet.

"I've actually got a lot of research to wade through tomorrow morning, so raincheck?" Lois knew she wasn't being completely honest but it wasn't exactly a lie either.

Tom nodded a little disappointed, "Okay. I'll call you."

Turning and making his way back down the stairs Lois watched him for a moment before making a decision.

"Tom. Wait." Lois called out before moving quickly down the stairs. In a few seconds she was standing in front of him, reaching out her hand she pulled his head towards hers.

Her lips met his and she kissed him tenderly before pulling away. Turning around and walking back towards the door Lois threw a sultry look over her shoulder.

"Goodnight Tom."

* * *

"Earth to Clark," A hand waved in front of his face.

"Huh?" He looked up at Oliver Queen.

"Where were you?"

"Sorry, I just have other things on my mind." Clark replied as he sat up and tried to remember what they had been talking about.

"Other things? Or other people?" Chloe questioned with a smirk.

Oliver shot Chloe a puzzled look, Chloe simply shrugged.

"Lois is out on another date."

"Ahhhh." Oliver remarked with a knowing grin.

Clark's eyes narrowed and he shot Chloe a dirty look, "It's not what you think."

"It's okay now because she's not that serious with Tom but what about 6 months or a year down the track when she's in love with him?" Chloe questioned her best friend seriously.

A look of pain flashed across Clark's face before he masked it behind a half smile, "Maybe that's the best thing."

"What!" both Oliver and Chloe exclaimed simultaneously.

"I'm always putting the people I love in danger. Who I am and what I am trying to become means that I can't have the same kind of intimate relationships as other people." Clark told his friends.

Chloe shook her head not wanting to argue with Clark. Oliver seemed to catch the tense undercurrents and decided to step in.

"Clark, we need your input. If you think that this 'Doomsday' creature is the one killing all of these people why hasn't it attacked on a larger scale if that is what it was bred for?" Oliver asked trying to get Clark's head back on task.

"I just think from all the information we've gathered that the attack on the Ace of Clubs and this string of murders lead back to the creature. I don't know why it's not attacking the city; maybe it's not strong enough?" Clark said as he reclined back in his chair.

"Maybe we're looking at this the wrong way," Chloe spoke coming to sit beside Clark.

"This creature is supposed to be the ultimate killer, right? Well what if it can camouflage to suit the environment it's in?" Chloe started to get excited at her breakthrough.

Oliver raised an eyebrow, "I'm not following."

"What Chloe is saying is that, if this creature is from Krypton like me then to survive it would need to blend in until the time was right." Clark tried to explain.

"Are you saying it is human?"

"Not human, just looks human. Maybe it only transforms into its true form when attacking?" Chloe proposed.

"Then it could be anyone."

TBC

AN: I'm trying to put a kinda new spin on the whole Davis Bloome/Doomsday story.


	7. Chapter 7

Clark watched Lois as they ate breakfast together. Swigging down a large mouthful of coffee she scooped up a spoonful of eggs before gulping them down also. He found it refreshing that even with the pressure women were under to look good that Lois remained healthy with a great appetite.

Glancing up from her food Lois noticed Clark watching her, "What?" she mumbled with her mouth full of food.

"Nothing," Clark smiled.

"So what is our plan of action?" Lois asked after taking another swig of coffee to clear her mouth of food.

"I've got a contact in the Metropolis P.D that might be able to shed some light on these arson attacks." Clark told her. He actually wanted to see John Jones both about the arson attacks and more importantly 'Doomsday.'

Lois nodded; she knew that Clark's contact in the police force usually only spoke to him so that was the only reason why she did not insist on going with him. Lois's eyes rested on Clark and she noticed that he looked a little tense.

"So...um, how did last night go?" Clark asked.

Lois bit her lip; she knew what he was asking. In the past when she had dated guys it was generally her rule that on the third date if the guy made a move then it was acceptable. Clark wanted to know just how intimate she had gotten with Tom, not that it was any of his business.

"Good," she finally answered. "We kissed."

Lois watched Clark's eyes darken with an emotion she just couldn't name. Jealousy?

'_No_,' her mind screamed out. Why the green monster would suddenly consume Clark made Lois a little confused but also a little angry. She had given Clark plenty of time to make a move but he was either stupid or afraid.

"Oh," Clark finally blurted out.

"All you can say is 'oh'," Lois asked him disappointedly.

"What do you want me to say Lois?" Clark questioned. Shaking her head, Lois reached into her purse and pulled out enough money to cover her half of the bill.

Clearing her throat, "I've got some leads to chase, how bout we meet back at the Planet around lunch?"

Clark simply nodded understanding that their talk was at an end before even really beginning. When was either of them going to talk to each other about the tension sitting between them? They had agreed to keep it on the field but so far that wasn't working out so great.

* * *

Lois sat at her desk tapping her pen in a steady rhythm. She had achieved nothing. After spending all morning on the phone to arson specialists about accelerants and psychologists about profiling she wasn't any closer. Lois had to admit that the psychologists had been handy, giving her several profiles that may allow her to chase down potential suspects.

She hoped that Clark was having more luck than her otherwise Tess Mercer might just fire them both for being incompetent. Lois snapped up her cell phone off the desk when its familiar chirping indicated she was receiving a call.

Expecting it to be Clark she was surprised to see the display showing that the caller's number was being withheld.

"Hello?" Lois questioned curiously.

"Is this Lois Lane?" A deep male voice asked.

"Yes, this is she."

"I have some information about the arson's that you are investigating."

"You have my full attention," Lois informed the caller.

"Word on the street has it that some people with super powers are burning the places down in order to exact revenge on Luthorcorp for running experiments on them."

"You wouldn't happen to know where I could find these individual's?" Lois questioned the unknown man.

"No but I can tell you that they are planning an attack on a storage warehouse downtown," the man told her almost too eagerly.

After getting the details out of the man she tried to get a name but was met by silence on the other end and realised the call had been disconnected. Ripping the address off the notepad, Lois glanced at the clock. It was only 10.30am; Smallville wouldn't be back at the Planet for a couple of hours.

Flipping open her phone again Lois dialled Clark's number, it went straight to message bank meaning it was either switched off or he was talking on it. She left a message giving him the address of where she was going and the rest of the details relayed to her by the anonymous caller.

Lois knew she should probably wait and meet Clark but when had she ever been scared of a story, plus if she didn't hurry she might miss something important.

* * *

Lois pulled her car up to the front entrance and felt it was her lucky day when she saw that the boom gate was already open and there were no security guards around. Parking her car, she jumped out and quickly began looking for anything suspicious.

Her eyes scanned the building and noticed a door ajar only 50 metres from where she was. Her gut told her that she would get her answers inside but it also told her trouble was brewing. Lois grabbed the door handle and pulled the heavy door back just far enough for her to slip through. Careful not to make too much noise, she kept her ears peeled any indication of other intruders.

Hearing faint voices had her moving west through aisles of neatly stacked boxes. As she got closer to the voices, Lois could also make out what looked like flames shooting directly towards the roof.

"This is the last one; I won't be a part of this anymore." A female voice spoke.

"We follow orders, you know that. We owe her." Another voice entered the conversation.

Lois had reached the end of the aisle and crouched so that she could peer around the corner easier.

There were 3 people standing in the middle of the room, one to her astonishment had what looked like fireballs in his hands which he was manipulating the size and shape of constantly. It looked like she had found her arsonists.

Lois faced her ear towards the people in order to hear what they were saying more clearly. She didn't get a chance however as the next moment she felt a blow across the back of the head and her world went immediately dark.

TBC

AN: This seemed like a good spot to end but I will have more up really soon!!!


	8. Into the fire

The first thing Lois felt when she regain consciousness was the excruciating pain originating in the back of her skull. Taking a moment to focus, she felt an unusual tightness around both her wrists and her ankles. Instead of being on the dirty cold cement, she had been moved into a solid steel chair and her hands and feet bound roughly to the arms and legs.

Eyes quickly darting side to side, Lois tried to evaluate the situation and formulate a plan.

"You're awake," the female voice from before stated.

"I kinda wish I wasn't." Lois choked out.

"Lois Lane, reporter for the Daily Planet. I admit that I've heard of you, you seem to have made a name for yourself reporting the unexplainable." The man that had manipulated fire earlier was holding her press badge and other items gleamed from her pockets.

_He must be the leader._

"I'm just doing my job."

"Seems you do it a little too well," the third member of the group spoke up. Lois gazed at each one, memorising features for future reference. If there was going to be a future. She didn't like where this situation was heading, tied up in a storage warehouse with arsonists.

"Who else knows you're here?"

Swallowing back her fear Lois stared defiantly at the trio but didn't say a word.

The one Lois had identified as the leader lit up his hands and gave an evil smirk, "I'm sorry it had to be like this but we have a mission to accomplish."

Lois knew that they were going to burn this building with her in it.

"You don't have to do this!" she argued whilst wiggling her arm, trying to loosen the ropes.

The man shrugged and threw out a fireball to his left, lighting up a pile of boxes.

"Let's go," he said looking at his companions whilst continuing to throw fire at the piles of boxes. Lois watched in horror as the fire began licking the walls and she was soon left alone pulling at the ropes in desperation.

Smoke was quickly filling the air and the heat from the fire was making the sweat drip down her face.

"Come on," she yelled out, pulling more furiously at the ropes.

The ropes were cutting into her wrists but the ones holding her right arm were beginning to slacken.

"That's it," she muttered. Pulling her hand back towards her body she tried to pull it out from under the ropes, if she could get one hand out than she could use that to untie herself.

The smoke was making the room hazy and she found that it was becoming a lot harder to breath. Her eyes were starting to sting and the pain from her head just added to the problems but she was determined to free herself. Knowing she didn't have much time, Lois pulled hard at the ropes feeling them chafe against her skin. Her right arm slipped out and she felt her luck was finally changing.

The heat from the flames was increasing and the smoke was causing her to cough almost constantly. She wished they hadn't taken her phone because then she could call Clark for help.

'_Clark?' _ Why not the police or the fire brigade?

Using her now free hand she started to untie the remaining ropes, going as quickly as she could because time was running out.

* * *

"Thanks John," Clark shook the Martians hand. Clark had spent the last few hours using the resources of the Metropolis Police Department to try and track down Doomsday. John had provided him both with information and guidance.

"Kal-El, the times ahead will prove hard but remember it is your destiny to protect humanity." John Jones informed Clark.

"Until I've discovered Doomsday's human identity then I'm powerless." Clark told the former Martian man hunter.

"I hope the information I have provided you about these cases will help you. I will also continue searching."

Clark smiled and nodded before saying goodbye. He quickly glanced at his watch; it was only 11:15 am. He was supposed to be back at the Planet around lunch. Pulling his phone out of his pocket he switched it back on. It beeped immediately indicating voice mail.

Dialling his message bank Clark placed the phone up to his ear. The first message was from Chloe wondering how he his meeting with John Jones had gone. The second message was from Lois, he smiled when he heard her voice but his smile was quickly replaced by a frown.

Lois was at a warehouse downtown chasing after arsonists. He had to admit that she was a go-getter, anything for a story even if she put herself in danger. As soon as the coast was clear Clark super sped to the address given to him by Lois.

Stopping in the car park, Clark first caught a glimpse of Lois's car before he noticed the smoke billowing out of the building. Using his x-ray vision, Clark concentrated on the wall searching for Lois.

What he saw churned his stomach; a body was lying on the floor in the middle of a room. Within a matter of seconds Clark was inside and next to the unconscious body.

"Lois." He whispered as he picked her up. The building itself was now unstable, the smoke was so thick and the fire was getting bigger by the second. In moments he was a safe distance from the building, sirens were buzzing all around. Lois was still in his arms and he felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest.

Fire engines had screeched into the car park and fire fighters were pouring out ready to do their job. Clark saw an ambulance approaching them and was torn between rushing straight off to the hospital or handing Lois off to the paramedics. His choice was made for him when he heard coughing coming from the woman in his arms.

"Smallville," Lois's voice croaked.

"I'm here." Clark murmured softly.

"Clark," a familiar male voice called out.

"Davis, we're over here." Clark called out.

Taking Lois to the ambulance, Clark placed her down inside. His hand tentatively reached out to stroke her cheek, mainly to reassure him that she was okay.

"Here put this on," Davis placed an oxygen mask over Lois's face before giving her a once over.

Several minutes passed before Davis spoke again, "You're incredibly lucky that it's mainly smoke inhalation but you do have a nasty bump on your head."

"We should get you to the hospital," Clark told Lois edgily.

Pulling the mask off her head, Lois shook her head. "No. I'm ok."

Clark looked to Davis for help. Though the two didn't exactly get along he knew that Davis Bloome was a professional. "Sorry Clark I can't force her to go to the hospital."

"Let me take you home then," Clark implored.

Lois gave a sharp nod, "Thanks Smallville."

TBC


	9. Having Stared Death In The Eyes

The ride back to Lois's apartment was filled with a tense silence and secretive glances. Clark kept looking from the driver's side over to the passenger whose life was nearly cut short today. His eyes toggled between the road and Lois whose head was lolling back against the seat. He had called the Daily Planet before they had left and informed them Lois wouldn't be back into work today.

"Clark," her voice whispered a little sore from the smoke inhalation.

"Mmmm?" Clark answered.

He watched as she licked and consequently bit her lip as if still not fully decided on what she was going to say.

"I just...uh," she paused, "thank you. If you hadn't of arrived..." she trailed off.

Clark felt his brows furrow into a frown and his stomach dropped, what if hadn't received her message? He had nearly been too late as it was. His hands gripped the steering wheel hard at that thought and it wasn't until he felt a hand on his arm that he relaxed.

"Smallville, it's okay. I'm okay." Lois told him gently.

For the first time in a while Clark felt his emotions get the better of him, "It's not okay Lois. You nearly DIED,"

"I've been in worse situations before," Lois gave a little laugh trying to make Clark and herself feel better.

Clark shook his head, "I wouldn't have been able to save you if I didn't have my..." he trailed off realising just what he had been about to divulge.

Lois glanced at Clark oddly, "What?"

Looking at her briefly, Clark turned his eyes back to the road, "It doesn't matter."

He was holding something back. Lately much to her chagrin he had been holding more of himself back, creating distance between them. Lois wasn't sure if it was because of whatever he was hiding or because she had begun to date Tom.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Clark pulling her car into her regular parking space. Jumping out, Clark moved around to help Lois out of the car. Her hand pushed him away and she shot a dirty look at him, "I'm not an invalid Smallville, I can still walk."

Clark heeded the warning and took an obligatory step backwards. Following her slowly up to her apartment, he grabbed her keys from her and opened the door. Since Lois had decided not to live on the farm and instead rent this place, he had only been here a handful of times. It seemed that old habits didn't die, no matter where you lived.

Taking his first peek into Lois's apartment, Clark cracked a slight smile. Dirty dishes were piled up in the sink and empty takeaway containers were strewn across the lounge room. Moving into the main living area Clark glanced towards where he knew Lois's bedroom was located. He could just imagine the mess, an array of towels, dresses, make-up and anything else she would leave lying on the floor.

Clark turned around to see Lois just standing in the middle of the room staring at him. Her face was dirty and smudged from smoke and dirt and her wrists looked rubbed raw. Clark could feel the tension between the two of them and he wondered if it was just a result of what had happened earlier or a build-up of the last couple of months.

Lois took a step forward at the same time Clark did. He was standing directly in front of her now, reaching down he grabbed her wrists and brought them up for inspection. Though it had only happened mere hours ago, the rope burn had caused both bleeding and discolouration and had to be painful. Clark used his thumb to rub over the marks and Lois felt a tingle rush down her spine and her heart rate rise.

"I'm sorry Lois," Clark whispered continuing to stroke the exposed skin around her wrist. Lois hissed in pain when he hit a tender spot. Dropping her hands abruptly, Clark made to move away from her but Lois's hand on his chest stopped his movements.

"Clark," she whispered. His eyes met hers and for the second time in the last couple of weeks there was a look in Clark's eyes that Lois could not decipher.

Her hand still rested on his chest and she watched in what seemed like slow motion as his hand reached up to rub at a smudge on her face. Feeling the situation spiralling out of control Clark pulled his hand back and stepped around Lois.

"You should rest," Clark spoke in a low voice. "I should go."

Lois knew that she wasn't as quick on the uptake as usual when it took several moments for her to realise that Clark had broken the connection between them and was going to leave. She knew that Clark was just giving her space and that at work tomorrow she would tell him everything she remembered so they could find the culprits. Lois felt that Clark was also leaving because emotions seem to be running to high between them at the present.

Lois felt her eyes well up as the build-up from the past couple of months finally took its toll on her. The deterioration of her relationship with Clark coupled with him saving her life today had her displaying emotions she normally held back.

Clark had reached the door to the apartment, reaching for the door knob he felt the sudden urge to look back for a moment. What he saw surprised him. Lois was standing in the middle of the room, tears making tracks down her face and the most vulnerable expression he had ever seen.

"Smallville," the way she said his name had him striding back towards her in a second, when he reached her he did something that surprised both Lois and himself. Not losing momentum he half lifted her as his lips crashed into hers urgently, hotly. He waited for what felt like hours for her to respond, when her hands wound up and around his neck and into his hair and her lips tugged back at his, he sighed.

Moving quickly he braced her back against the wall behind them as if she weighed nothing. Neither of them seemed to be even thinking of the consequences. Her tongue pushed into his mouth and tangled with his, Clark groaned low in his throat. Pulling his mouth from hers for the briefest gulp of air, he started attacking her neck.

Lois sighed and leant her head back against the wall as she played with the hair at the back of Clark's neck. All thoughts had left her mind and she just revelled in the feelings that were coursing through her body. Wrapping her legs around Clark's waist she used the opportunity to pull him in closer. His mouth moved back up to hers and began to taste it hungrily.

Time seemed to have lost meaning between the two of them until Clark suddenly pulled his mouth away from hers and dropped her to the floor. Lois's face was flushed and she glanced at him confused, why had he stopped? It wasn't until she heard the persistent knocking on her front door that she realised why Clark had pulled away.

Reality filtered back into her brain and she used her hands to push back on Clark's chest. Smoothing down her clothes and hair she walked quickly to the front door. Pulling it open roughly, Lois gasped when she saw who it was.

"Tom!"

TBC

AN: PLEASE REVIEW!!!!


	10. Fallout

"Lois! What happened?" Tom exclaimed moving forward to touch her tentatively.

"What are you doing here?" Lois ignored his question.

His hands began rubbing up and down her arms, "I dropped by the Daily Planet to surprise you for lunch and your intern told me that you'd been in some accident and were at home."

Glancing for the first time into the apartment Tom noticed Clark standing on the other side of the room with his hands in his pockets staring intently at the interaction between Lois and himself. Looking back to the woman in front of him, he finally realised how beat up she looked.

Lois cleared her throat, "I was investigating the arson attacks and got caught by the arsonists and stuck inside the burning building."

Without saying anything further she allowed Tom to push her lightly back into the room.

"Are you okay?" he asked worry evident on his face as his hand cupped her cheek. Lois didn't get a chance to answer because decided to make his presence known.

"I was just...uh...leaving," Clark told the couple in front of him. The sight of Tom fawning all over Lois after what they had just done left a sick feeling in his stomach. Just mere minutes ago, he'd had Lois in his arms up against the wall, kissing her like there was no tomorrow and there wasn't, not for them.

It had to be in this awkward moment that Clark finally identified the emotion that had been eating away at him since that night at the Daily Planet.

Jealousy.

Clark was jealous of Tom. He knew the attraction between Lois and him had always been there but it hadn't been until recently that feelings beyond friendship had started to emerge. Everything was such a mess and he didn't know if he could fix it.

"Clark." Lois whispered as he walked towards her and Tom. "Thank you again for saving me."

"He saved you?" Tom interjected.

Lois nodded, "He pulled me out of the fire."

Tom turned to Clark, "Thank you."

"I did what anyone would have done. I had to save her." Clark stated intensely.

"I doubt any one would have run into a burning fire," Tom said in awe.

"How did you even know she was in there?"

Clark stared at Lois, "I just knew."

Clearing his throat, "I better go. Just get some rest, please." He added the last word softly.

Lois nodded and watched silently as Clark let himself out.

"I need a shower," she stated suddenly after moments of silence.

"I'll whip something up, you must be hungry! Soup okay?" Tom asked.

"Sure, I hope you'll find everything you need in there." She indicated with her thumb.

"Hope?" Tom questioned.

"Yeah, as you might have noticed I'm not the most domesticated person." Lois gave a slight smile and moved into her bedroom, clicking the door shut behind her.

Once alone, she leant back on the now closed door and sighed. Unbeknownst to her, her saviour was still out in the hallway doing the exact same thing.

* * *

The basement of the Daily Planet was in full swing by the time Lois made it into work the following day. Phones were ringing and the smell of coffee permeated the morning air. Pushing her way to her desk, she dumped her belongings on the table and flopped down in the chair.

"Lois?"

Turning around she caught a glimpse of Clark moving towards her. Clad in a navy button down shirt and matching tie that emphasised his muscular body, she couldn't help but stare.

"Must have clocked me on the head harder than I thought," she muttered.

"What are you doing here?" Clark asked her as he placed his morning coffee down and sat in his chair.

Swiftly reaching for the coffee she swiped it from under his nose. Taking a quick sip she sighed in pleasure. "Thanks Smallville."

Clark shook his head and smirked before turning his serious face back on. "You should be at home."

"And let the arsonists get away?" she questioned.

"What exactly happened?"

Lois started her story from when she received the anonymous phone call earlier the previous day.

"Meteor infected? Are you positive?" Clark confirmed.

"I might have had a knock to the head but my memory is just fine,"

"Can you remember their faces?" Clark asked her.

Lois nodded, "Then we need to get you to a sketch artist."

"I'm gonna go and see if Chloe might have be able to dig up any information using her Isis foundation contacts." Clark continued.

"Okay. I'll go down to the police station and see if they can get me an artist so we can get these faces in print."

Clark grabbed his and Lois's coats, moving around the desk to hand hers to her. Their hands brushed slightly but it was enough to have them both staring intently at each other.

Clark was surprised that he was the first to speak, "About last night..."

Lois cut him off suddenly, "a mistake, you'd just saved my life and we let ourselves be swept away."

"I'm not sure that that's all it was" Clark decided that instead of shying away that he actually wanted to have this conversation.

"It doesn't matter, I'm dating Tom." Lois told Clark firmly.

"So we're not going to talk about it?" Clark asked her.

"I thought that's what we were doing?" Lois answered his question with one of her own.

"You know it's not." He told her as he shrugged his coat on. Clark decided that pushing Lois was probably not the best idea so he decided to drop it for now.

* * *

"Clark. I've been calling your phone like some crazed stalker." Chloe told him the moment he entered the Isis foundation.

"Sorry, I've had things I needed to deal with."

"Like saving Lois from a fire? Why did neither of you call me?" Chloe chastised him. Clark sighed as he sat himself down in one of the office chairs.

"I have to find out my exclusive information from Davis now."

"I kissed her," Clark blurted out suddenly.

"What!?" Chloe's jaw dropped.

"Lois, I kissed her in her apartment and Tom interrupted us." Clark continued, needing to get it off his chest.

"Tom interrupted you!" Chloe parroted.

"I don't know what would have happened if he hadn't arrived." Clark put his head in his hands.

"I think I am getting in over my head."

TBC


	11. Sniffing Out A Lead

AN: This is becoming my own interpretation of how the end of season 8 should have gone.

PREVIOUSLY -

__

"Lois, I kissed her in her apartment and Tom interrupted us." Clark continued, needing to get it off his chest.

"Tom interrupted you!" Chloe parroted.

"I don't know what would have happened if he hadn't arrived." Clark put his head in his hands.

"I think I am getting in over my head."

* * *

Chloe felt her jaw drop slightly, "What!?"

"Stop saying that, please" Clark urged.

"I just hope you know what you're doing." Chloe trailed off as she saw Clark's pained expression.

"After everything that has happened in the past and now this thing with Doomsday, I can't afford to have Lois mixed up in this." Clark told Chloe vehemently.

"Whether you like it or not Lois has a penchant for trouble, she'll find some way to get involved whether you like it or not." Chloe informed him as she took the seat next to Clark.

"I know but I can at least shield her from what I can, she doesn't need encouraging." Clark threw his head back against the chair and sighed.

"You could just tell her," Chloe alluded to Clark's heritage, the 800 pound gorilla in the room.

Clark remained silent for several minutes until Chloe interrupted the silence, "Well?"

"I can't Chloe. Look how many lives have been ruined or put in danger because of my secret. Lois finds danger if she knew about my abilities..." Clark didn't need to finish the sentence because Chloe did it for him.

"You think she would put herself in more danger knowing that you could bail her out."

Clark nodded, "I care too much about Lois to see her hurt in anyway."

"You can't do everything alone." Chloe told him.

"I'm not alone. I have you." Clark retorted.

"It's not really the same and you know it." Chloe told him with a small smile before moving off the seat and heading towards the computer. "So what did you find out from our favourite man hunter?"

Silently thanking Chloe for the change in topic, Clark got to his feet and picked up the pile of folders he had brought with them.

"John gave me all of the police case files that involve all of the victims we believe were killed by Doomsday. Maybe you could run the information and see if there is anything there that will help us track down the killer."

"Okay."

* * *

Clark walked slowly down the stairs leading to the bull pen, stopping only when he reached the bottom. From here he watched for several moments as Lois pounded away on her keyboard seemingly engrossed in her work.

Approaching her slowly Clark felt a smile begin to grace his face. "So what is the fearless Lois Lane currently working on?"

"Smallville, nice of you to finally come in to work. And for your information I'm working on something new." Lois smirked.

"New?" Clark questioned.

"Yep. I took all the information we had on the arsons and the sketches I had done up to Tess' office and she kicked me off the story. No explanation."

"I'm really sorry that Tess took the arsonist story off you after everything you went through." Clark told her sympathetically.

"I just find the whole situation bizarre considering she was the one that assigned us the story in the first place." Lois shrugged before turning back to the computer screen.

"I know that voice, are you going to let this go Lois?" Clark questioned her.

"Yes."

Clark looked at her disbelievingly, "Really?"

Lois simply nodded, "I've moved on to bigger fish."

"Such as?"

"Rule number 8, never give a story away." Lois quirked her eyebrow and smiled up at Clark cheekily.

"There is no rule 8." Clark retorted.

"There is now! Smallville, I really need to get back work now." Lois told Clark as she reached out for her coffee cup. Frowning when she realised it was empty she spun her chair around to face Clark before quickly shoving the cup up towards him.

"Refill?" Lois asked starting to shake the cup from side to side. Clark swiped the cup from her fingers and moved to get Lois her caffeine fix. He knew he wasn't the errand boy anymore but he couldn't resist doing this small gesture for her.

Returning back to their desks, he placed the coffee down next to her before moving around to take his own seat.

After working silently for over an hour, Clark glanced around the corner of his computer screen to watch Lois. Was Chloe right? Could he tell Lois?

His thoughts were cut off when his cell phone began ringing.

Flipping it open he noted Chloe's number on the screen, "Hello."

"Clark I have a solid lead,"

"Great, I'm on my way." Clark told her before flipping his phone shut.

Grabbing his coat he quickly slipped it on.

"Got a hot story?" Lois jumped up out of her seat and went to grab her coat off the back of it but stopped when she saw Clark shake his head.

"Rule number 8, never give a story away." Clark smiled before walking away leaving a defeated Lois Lane to flop back down into her seat. Her rules had back fired this time.

* * *

Clark arrived at the Isis foundation within five minutes of talking to Chloe.

"So what have you found?"

Chloe spun around in her seat to face Clark, "Okay, remember when we assumed Davis Bloome was killing people but it turned out to be Randy Klein?"

Clark's eyes narrowed in confusion, "Yes but what has that got to do with this?"

"Davis' ambulance was the first on the scene to each of those murders which turned out to be coincidence but it turns out that he has been first on the scene to 9 out of 10 of these murders. Coincidence again?" Chloe asked Clark. Davis Bloome had become a friend and had once confessed to her that he had blackouts, periods of time in which he didn't know what he had done.

"Could Davis be the Earthly camouflage for Doomsday?" Clark answered Chloe's question with one of his own.

Chloe nodded, "Maybe, need to do some reconnaissance."

* * *

Across town at the Daily Planet, Lois Lane was investigating the same series of killings and under her own steam had reached a similar conclusion.

"Davis Bloome."

TBC


	12. Parallel

Lois was surprised that the name that popped out at her was Davis Bloome. She knew this man; he had helped her several times and seemed like such a good guy, could he really be a serial killer? The more Lois thought about the more it seemed to be plausible. Being a paramedic meant that Davis could use his job as a cover for these murders. People know that ambulances are usually first on the scene and the vehicle itself obviously made it easy to transport dead bodies. If Davis was the killer there could be a lot more missing people than had been reported.

She knew she couldn't just chuck a 'Lois' and confront him or even give away that she was onto him. What if she was wrong? Whoever had mutilated these bodies the way that they had would not hesitate to eliminate anyone who attempted to stop them.

She needed to find a way to confirm if it was Davis or not. An idea flashed into her brain and knowing that she didn't have Chloe's talent for gaining information in a technological way she knew she'd have to do some leg work. Quickly grabbing her bag and jacket Lois decided to head down to Metropolis General and see if her brilliant idea panned out.

* * *

"I can hack into the hospital's mainframe so we can track Davis' ambulance. I can also pull his roster for us to cross reference." Chloe told Clark whilst she tapped away on her keyboard.

"I'll give Oliver a call and update him on what we've found. Maybe he can dig a little further." Clark walked towards the door of the offices.

"Where are you off to sparky?" Chloe questioned. She had thought that Clark would stay around a little longer to talk strategy but new that he had to also juggle his work at the Daily Planet and the inquisitive nature of her cousin.

"I'm gonna head down to Met Gen and see what I can find before heading back to the Planet." Clark told her before super speeding out the door, leaving a gust of wind in his wake.

* * *

The clicking of heels could be heard echoing down the halls of the sixth floor as Lois Lane approached the offices which housed the staff records. Though she had an access card for the hospital staff files were probably the only thing she couldn't get to with it.

Approaching the reception desk she knew she was going to have to act her backside off in order to get the information she need.

Luck just happened to be on her side when she saw the bright blue eyes and sparkling grin of the man sitting behind the information desk.

"Hi there, Ben." Lois gave a large smile as she read his name tag.

"How can I help you?" Ben smiled back.

"I have a little problem, I was supposed to get a bunch of staff files for evaluation but I happened to miss one and my boss isn't happy with me." Lois told the man trying to be as convincing as possible.

"I just need some I.D..." Ben trailed off waiting for Lois to give her name.

"Lois," She supplied with another brilliant smile as she leant over the top of the reception desk.

Giving the pretence of searching in her bag for an I.D card, Lois waited a moment before looking up at Ben with puppy dog eyes.

"Shoot, I must have left it back at the office. You couldn't just overlook it this once? If I go back without this file..." Lois trailed off, hoping Ben would get what she was insinuating.

"Okay, I guess I can help you out. I don't want to be the reason you got fired." Ben told her before hoping out of his seat and moving towards another room.

"What's the name you need?" Ben called out over his shoulder.

"Davis Bloome. He's an EMT." Lois replied.

"Okay, give me a minute to get the information for you."

Lois brushed her hair out of face and smirked, she still had it.

Ben came back several minutes later holding a folder that he passed straight into Lois' eager hands.

"You are such a lifesaver; I guess I'll see you around." Lois gave another flashy smile before heading back down the hallway leaving Ben to watch her leave.

* * *

Lois dropped the file onto her desk and went to grab a coffee, spinning around she smacked into a solid wall. Glancing up she realised it wasn't a wall she had hit but Clark's chest.

"Outta the way Smallville," Lois choked a little unnerved by his proximity.

Clark took a step back and looked down at her, "Sorry."

Things between them had kind of returned to normal but neither had really confronted what had transpired in Lois' apartment but the chemistry between them was still popping.

Neither had moved from where they were standing and the smell of Clark's aftershave was drifting up her nose. If she didn't move away now she would be sucked back into a web she didn't want to be stuck in.

"I need to get some paper," she told him before pushing past and making her way to the supply room. Clark watched as she rushed away from him and he felt his heart sink, they really needed to talk about what happened and everything else that was burning between them.

Making a snap decision Clark chased after her.

TBC


	13. A Confrontation Of Sorts

AN: Thanks everyone for sticking with me!!! Keep the reviews coming, I love them!

* * *

Lois pushed her way past several colleagues and into the room that housed the supplies. Pushing the door closed behind her she closed her eyes and sighed, it shouldn't be like this. She shouldn't need to lie about getting supplies in order to avoid an awkward situation with Clark. Things were beginning to spiral out of her control and if she didn't start to push her emotions back down the dam walls were going to break.

Lois knew that she used her toughness as a facade to mask all of the insecurities which had plagued her from childhood.

Lois' eyes darted to the door as a sharp tap at the door grabbed her attention. Quickly turning and fumbling around in the cupboard in order to look busy she waited for the person to enter the room.

The door cracked open and Lois could hear that familiar male voice calling her name, "Lois?"

Ignoring him she continued her search for the supplies she didn't actually need, anything to keep her busy. She actually found herself not wanting to get into a verbal conflict with Clark which indicated to her that there was something wrong with her. She would normally approach this sort of situation by getting in the other persons face, talking incessantly and then storming off but something told her that was exactly the kind of behaviour Clark was expecting. It was behaviour she was determined not to give.

Lois heard the door click shut and knew that he was now standing directly behind her.

Clark reached out his hand to touch Lois' arm in order to get her attention but instead of her turning around all her heard was, "What are you doing here Clark?"

"We need to talk Lois," he stated simply and truthfully.

"I'm sorry Clark, I'm a little busy." She whirled her hands around but still did not turn to face him.

"Please. Look at me." He asked Lois in tone that was soft yet firm.

Clark watched slowly as her demeanour changed and she whirled around to face him, "There is nothing to talk about."

Lois made sure that each word was enunciated slowly so that he got the message.

"It's all I can think about." Clark blurted out.

Lois' eyes narrowed and a questioning expression covered her face, "What?"

"Us. Together. Touching." He punctuated each word for effect.

"Clark," she sighed. "I've kissed guys before and it was nice but that's all it was. Please don't read too much into this."

She knew that she was trying to throw him off and if the look in his eyes was anything to go on then she needed to try harder.

Lois knew that beyond everything she wanted to protect her friendship with Clark. It had been the one constant in her life for the past 5 years and she wasn't ready to give it up. They both seemed to have pretty dismal dating records and if not being with Clark meant that she could retain his friendship then maybe it was a sacrifice she should make. However, feelings like the ones she felt for him did not fall off every tree and she didn't know if she was ready to give up on them just yet.

"No," Clark's hand reached out to brush her cheek, "that wasn't all it was."

Lois closed her eyes for a moment before opening them with a new resolve. Twisting her head away she stepped in closer to him and raised her finger to his chest, prodding it.

"What about Tom?" she poked into his chest fiercely.

"You've had what, half a dozen dates?" Clark asked her.

"That's not the point. He's open with me whereas you are always holding something back. You make flimsy excuses and are constantly disappearing." Each sentence was punctuated by her jabbing her finger into his shoulder in attempts to ram her message home.

"I...." Clark stammered.

"Look, don't explain. Maybe we both have too much baggage, maybe it's just impossible but I know one thing I need is your friendship." She whispered softly into the room.

The fight seemed to have left her and she was suddenly aware of her proximity to him. The warmth radiating from his body and the clean crisp smell that always seemed to intoxicate her were luring her closer.

Lois tilted her head back and looked up into his face. The intensity in his eyes stunned her and she felt like she was drowning without a floaty to save her. His face inched closer to hers and she heard Clark whisper, "You'll always have it."

Her eyes started to close involuntarily and she could feel his breath mingling with hers. This time it was Lois that initiated the kiss, her lips touched his tentatively and she briefly wondered if she was out of her mind. All her resolves to remain friends seemed to fly out the window.

His lips began tugging at hers that in no way resembled their first hot and frenzied coupling. This time it was slower, softer and so much more addictive. Lois felt her arms reach up to loop around his neck and began playing with the hair at the back of his neck that she couldn't seem to resist. Angling her mouth for better access she proceeded to take all the time in the world to explore his mouth with her tongue. His tongue began duelling with hers and it made the sensations rippling through her body that much better.

His hands were running up and down her spine in the most erotic way and both felt as if the world had melted away. The last kiss seemed to be born out of a need to affirm life; this one was born out of simple emotion. Breathing consisted of short gulps of air when they decided the lack of oxygen became too much. Neither Lois nor Clark wanted to break the contact so the drugging kiss continued without the further exploration that had occurred last time.

The door swung open and a noisy female entered. The huge gasp and noise of paperwork fluttering to the ground was enough to have Lois pull back from Clark abruptly.

"Hannah." Lois yelped a red blush tinging her cheeks. She had just been caught necking with Smallville by the Daily Planets biggest gossip. Lois prided herself on professionalism within the workplace and knew that this little tryst in the supply room was going to spread like wildfire before day's end.

Stepping around Clark she strode up to Hannah. "Not a peep of this gets out to anyone, ever!" Lois shot her a deadly look.

Hannah knew Lois Lane and could tell that she meant business and nobody messed with her. From the way Lois was high tailing it out of there whatever had happened in that room was something neither Lois nor Clark expected.

* * *

Skulking around in alleyways was not something Lois Lane liked to do but there seemed to be no other option. After the incident with Clark she had thrown herself back into work and decided that trailing Davis Bloome around for the night to confirm her suspicions might get her mind of the farm boy and all of her problems.

The night air was chilly and Lois was glad she had worn her thick coat. She had followed Davis to an old church and was waiting outside in the shadows for him to emerge. It had been over an hour and she was beginning to feel antsy. There was no way he could have known she was following him and his ambulance was still parked out the front. Where was he? So far that night he had answered 2 call outs but he did nothing suspicious at either one, granted they were both in public places.

Rubbing her hands up and down her arms in attempts to keep warm, she did not hear the man approaching from behind.

A hand came quickly over her shoulder and covered her mouth before pushing her deeper into the alley.

TBC


	14. Transformations

Lois couldn't see who had grabbed her but from the build of the body it was definitely male. She kicked her leg back but it didn't make any difference. Squirming and wriggling in an attempts to escape Lois began to get frustrated when she realised she wasn't getting anywhere. She felt her body being turned around and the brick wall scratched her back as her attacker pushed her back onto it.

"Lois." A deep male voice whispered.

Recognising the voice her eyes widened and she stopped struggling immediately. The hand was slowly moved away from her mouth and the man moved back from her slightly.

"Smallville!" Lois hissed. He quickly brought a finger up to his mouth and indicated for her to be quiet.

"What the hell are you doing?" her anger getting the better of her.

Clark leaned in towards Lois until his lips were against her ear, "I'm following up on a lead. Why are you here? It's dangerous."

Lois felt a tingle rush down her spine at his proximity so she straightened herself up before flattening back against the wall. It was all an attempt to get back some of her personal space.

"I'm following a lead too." Lois told him indignantly.

"He's dangerous Lois." Clark told her with a fierceness she had not seen from him in a long time.

"Who?" Lois replied trying to play dumb.

"Lois."

The look of concern in Clark's eyes and the tone of his voice yanked at her heart and she found herself whispering, "I'm following Davis Bloome. I think he's the serial killer."

Clark's eyes closed involuntarily. He was hoping that her being in the vicinity of the church was a coincidence but his gut had told him otherwise. He shouldn't have doubted Lois Lane's ability to sniff out a juicy story but if Davis was Doomsday then this was definitely one story he did not want her on.

"You need to drop this story Lois." Clark knew that she would resist and he didn't have to wait long.

"What?" Lois hissed angrily.

Clark was going to answer her question when his hearing picked up something, "There's someone coming."

Lois' mouth snapped shut instantly and she moved to peer around the huge male body still unnervingly close to her own.

They both watched silently from the shadows as Davis Bloome emerged from the church and headed towards his ambulance.

"Let's go Smallville," Lois tugged on his arm as she began to make her way towards her car.

"Where did you park?" she questioned him quietly.

Clark had to think quick as he had used his super speed and the portable GPS locator Chloe had rigged for him to follow Davis.

"Uh...I don't have my truck, I took a cab." He finally told her.

Lois looked at him suspiciously, "I'm surprised you didn't get caught."

Clark just smirked and simply pulled the GPS locator out of his pocket and showed it to her.

"There is a GPS chip in every ambulance." Clark told her as they both watched the blip that was Davis' ambulance moving away.

Lois just nodded, "That makes the chase so much easier."

* * *

"Turn left." Clark told Lois as they drove through the empty streets of Metropolis.

This was the first time they had been alone since the steamy moment at the Daily Planet. Clark could feel Lois' eyes him every so often and it unnerved him. Now was definitely not the time to talk about the kisses they had shared so he kept his mouth shut.

Clark knew that Davis wasn't just a potential serial killer; he was the potential destructor of mankind and someone that he didn't want anywhere near Lois.

"He's stopped," Clark told Lois as he glanced down at the handheld.

"Pullover here,"

Lois eased the car to a stop and clicked off her seatbelt before jumping out. Both remained silent as they approached the place where Davis had stopped.

An ear piercing scream filled the air and Lois and Clark looked at each other. Lois made to run ahead but Clark grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"No. You stay here."

Lois looked at him, disbelief evident on her face. "No way!"

"Lois." Clark all but growled at her.

The protective streak Clark was showing sent a thrill through her and all she wanted to do was cave in but she was worried about him protecting himself.

"Smallville, you're not exactly Rambo." Lois whispered to him.

"Please just this once." The pleading not in his tone cracked her resolve and she found herself nodding.

"Ok."

Clark gave a little smile and squeezed her arm before jogging off down the street. Once he was out of sight she told herself she would wait at least 5 minutes before following him.

* * *

Clark glanced down at the handheld and then looked around at his surroundings. The ambulance was around a hundred metres in front of him but even after using his enhanced vision he still couldn't locate Davis.

"Why are you following me?" A deep voice rasped from behind him.

Swinging around Clark saw Davis standing several metres away from him.

"I know who you are." Clark told him.

He watched as a red tinge suddenly filled Davis' eyes, "You are the Kryptonian!"

Clark knew in an instant that his search for Doomsday was over but what worried him more at that moment was the fact that Lois was nearby.

"I was sent to Earth in order to destroy it." He stated as Clark watched bony protrusions begin emerging from his upper body

"You know I can't let that happen." Clark told Davis as he began circling him.

"You cannot stop me." Davis told him smugly as he continued to morph into Doomsday.

"You have a life here; you don't have to do this." Clark tried to negotiate with him until he could think of a better plan.

"You can't fight with destiny." Davis told him. The statement hit a chord with Clark as no matter how much he had tried to fight his own destiny things always had a way of correcting themselves.

Though he wasn't fully transformed Davis rushed forward and slammed into Clark throwing him forcefully back into a brick wall. Crushed bricks rained down on the ground around him and he groaned from the force of the push.

A feminine gasp caught both his and Davis' attention and he turned to look at the source. What he saw gutted him. Lois was standing nearby with a shattered look on her face.

"Lois, stay back." Clark ordered as loud as he could. Now fully transformed Doomsday watched the interaction between the pair for mere moments before turning and hurling the nearest car towards Lois.

Clark watched in slow motion as the car hurtled through the air towards her. Pushing himself off of the ground he used all of his strength to speed towards Lois. Grabbing her he pulled her in close and shielded her body from the impact. The car smashed into his back and over their heads to continue rolling down the street.

Lois was pushed in tight against his chest so he couldn't see her reaction to what had just happened but he didn't think it was going to be good. Clark whipped his head around to see where Doomsday was but was stunned to see that he had reverted back into Davis.

Not wasting anytime he put one hand under Lois' knees and the other behind her back and scooped her up. Jumping to his feet he made a quick decision and sped off into the night.

TBC


	15. Confessions

_Previously_

__

Lois was pushed in tight against his chest so he couldn't see her reaction to what had just happened but he didn't think it was going to be good. Clark whipped his head around to see where Doomsday was but was stunned to see that he had reverted back into Davis.

Not wasting anytime he put one hand under Lois' knees and the other behind her back and scooped her up. Jumping to his feet he made a quick decision and sped off into the night.

* * *

Lois turned her head away from Clark's chest and watched in awe as everything around her blurred past. What was going on? Everything was rolling around in Lois' brain so fast that she hadn't yet caught up with what was happening.

Before she even had a chance to begin processing they had stopped. Glancing around she realised they were back in Smallville, in the barn. Lois began to wiggle in order for Clark to release her and he did, dropping her feet to the ground.

Shaking her head she moved forward two steps before stopping, her back facing Clark.

"Lois, I can explain." Clark stammered as he reached his hand out towards her. He had avoided looking down at her the entire trip home, scared of what her reaction would be. Clark had envisioned numerous ways in which he would tell Lois the biggest secret of his life but they were always romantic and ended well. He had never thought that he would need to expose his powers to her like he had just done.

This was not going to end well.

Clark watched silently as Lois whirled around to face him. He could see the anger shimmering in her eyes and knew that she just wanted to hurl profanities in his direction but she surprised him.

"It's always been you," she whispered and Clark knew what she meant.

He nodded his head and took a step closer to her and decided on the simplest answer, "Yes."

"You're the blur?" Lois asked him, wanting further confirmation.

"Yes." Clark whispered and took another step closer to her. Lois held up her hand in order to stop his advancement towards her.

Clark watched as Lois' brow furrowed in concentration and she bit on her lip. They both stood there in silence for what seemed like hours until Clark finally spoke up.

"Please say something because you're scaring me."

Lois smirked a little before the seriousness returned, "Clark I honestly don't know what to say, there is so much rattling around in my brain and I don't know where to start."

"Just throw some things at me" Clark told her before turning around and sitting down on the couch. Lois didn't make to sit next to him but instead moved to stand in front of him so that she could feel in charge of the situation.

"Would you have ever told me?" Lois asked, not actually sure if she wanted to know the answer.

She watched as Clark's eyes closed briefly before he looked up at her, "Eventually,"

"Eventually?" Lois questioned.

Clark noticed the pain flash across her face and he knew he had to explain himself better. He stood up so that he was face to face with her, "Lois people who know my secret get hurt or die and thinking of you being injured because of me...." he trailed off.

Lois felt her anger begin to melt away at Clark's protectiveness. "I can look after myself." She asserted.

"I know," Clark told her.

"I don't need you using your meteor powers to save me all the time." Lois murmured.

Clark winced slightly, "Yeah we need to talk about my powers."

* * *

Lois stared out listlessly from her position on top of a grassy hill that overlooked several corn fields. She had been sitting there for hours with everything Clark had told her rolling around in her head.

_Krypton_

_Abilities_

_Fortress_

_Intergalactic Traveller_

Lois had listened to everything with both eagerness and trepidation. Ever since she had met him he had been shrouded in mystery, she always put it down to his personality or the weirdness that was Smallville but it was something else entirely.

_Does it change things between us?_

The question floated to the forefront of Lois' thoughts and she realised that she didn't know the answer. She was starting to believe that the reason Clark held himself back from her was because of his abilities. Lois still couldn't get her head around the fact that Clark was speeding around Metropolis saving people. She had always known he was capable of achieving great things but she had never imagined it on such an enormous scale.

One of the primary reasons she and Ollie had not worked out was because his destiny was so much greater than her own and she couldn't bear to be left behind. Her feelings for Clark were the strongest she had ever felt for a man in her life and she couldn't go through heartbreak again. After what Clark had told her, his destiny was already planned and was evidently so much greater than hers. What did she do?

Lois knew that Clark had been a little disconcerted when she had simply listened to his story and then just left but space was definitely what she needed right now.

* * *

Clark stood staring out of his loft window. He knew Lois needed time to wrap her head around what he had told her but the waiting was killing him. She was one of the most important people in his life and he hoped that she could forgive him for keeping his heritage a secret from her.

Love was supposed to conquer all but love was something he had always struggled to find and keep. His feelings for Lois pushed him to make the world a safer place, one where he wasn't constantly worrying about the nosy reporter that had captured his heart.

Things seemed to be happening so quickly, everything between Lois and himself, the relationship between Lois and Tom and the discovery that Davis Bloome was Doomsday.

Clark closed his eyes briefly and knew that he needed to deal with Doomsday.

Pulling his phone out of his pocket he quickly punched in the sequence of numbers and waited for Oliver to pick up.

"Hello," Oliver's voice filtered through the phone.

"Our suspicions have been confirmed." Clark told him simply.

"Ok. I'll get everyone together tonight." Oliver replied urgently.

"See you then." Clark said before disconnecting the call.

He knew now was the worst possible time to be leaving Lois but duty called and he wasn't one to shy away from his responsibilities. He just hoped she'd understand and things between them would finally work themselves out.

TBC

AN: I know this chapter is short but I wanted this to be a separate chapter. I will update again soon!


	16. Decisions

AN: Thanks for all of the reviews it's really great to hear from people who are enjoying this story! :-)

* * *

The familiar ringtone chirped as her phone buzzed in her pocket. Digging her hand into her pocket she pulled out the communication device and stared at the caller I.D.

_Chloe Sullivan._

Lois' finger hovered over the accept button before a thought suddenly crossed her mind,

'_Did Chloe know?'_

The thought hadn't occurred to her before but it would explain away a lot of the strange behaviour her cousin displayed when around Clark. Chloe was always quick to back up Clark's stories and cover for him. Memories flashed through Lois' head and she realised that it was probably a good assumption that Chloe knew about Clark's secret.

Hitting the disconnect button she then turned the phone off and shoved it back into her pocket. She didn't want to talk to anyone at the moment.

The daylight was quickly escaping and the cold air was quickly creeping in. She had been sitting in the same place for countless hours and still felt that she hadn't processed all of the information Clark had given her. It seemed she had more questions than answers at the moment and that was something that she hated.

Deciding she needed to clear the air with Clark Lois jumped to her feet and dusted off her pants before setting off towards the Kent farm.

The lights at the farm were out when she approached it indicating that Clark either wasn't home or was sitting in the dark brooding.

Pulling the spare key out of its hiding position Lois let herself into the quaint farmhouse.

"Clark?" she called, "Clark? Are you here?"

The resounding silence quickly answered her question and she sighed loudly into the empty room. The day's events were beginning to take their toll on her and though she knew she needed to talk things through with Clark she still wasn't sure if she was ready. It wasn't just anger that flowed through her but primarily disappointment. Lois was extremely disappointed that after everything they had been through together that he didn't trust her enough to be honest, to be himself. On some level she could understand why he felt the need to protect those he was closest to but staying silent hadn't stopped people getting hurt.

There was always something about Clark that had always seemed to plague him and Lois realised that his powers made him feel less than normal and that he had only just begun to embrace that side of himself by becoming the infamous 'Red Blue Blur.'

She really needed to think of a new name for him, something catchy that would encapsulate everything that he was. She knew she had a knack for coming up with names; the Green Arrow was her biggest accomplishment to date.

Moving into the living room, Lois flicked on a small lamp before sitting down on the couch. Lois knew she didn't want her friendship with Clark to change because he had become such an important part of her life but things were becoming so convoluted that she was soon going to forget which way her head was screwed on.

Letting out a big yawn she pulled the small blanket covering the back of the couch down over her as she curled up on her side.

Maybe tomorrow would be a better day?

* * *

The lift up into Oliver's pent house apartment seemed to be taking forever. Finally entering the temporary headquarters for the Justice League Clark felt the weight of the last several days events begin to rest on his shoulders.

"Clark, have you talked to Lois?" Chloe's voice filtered from across the other side of the room.

"Why?" Clark replied as he walked towards her.

"Well I've been trying to call her all afternoon but she's been incommunicado." The look on Chloe's face betrayed how worried she was.

"That might be my fault." Clark winced slightly as he noticed Chloe's curious face.

"She knows." Though stated simply it caused a ripple effect with everyone in the room coming to a complete standstill.

"You finally told her Clark," Oliver asked a little sceptically.

Clark winced again and Chloe gasped, "She found out, you didn't tell her did you?"

"Not exactly." Clark told his closest friends, "I tailed Davis to a church and found Lois skulking in an alleyway..."

"Why was Lois there?" Chloe interrupted Clark with her question.

"She was following a lead that indicated Davis was the serial killer."

Chloe shook her head; Lois always managed to find herself in the middle of the action even though Clark and she were always holding back information.

"And?" Arthur Curry spoke up from the chair he was reclining in.

"I confronted Davis and he identified me as Kryptonian before he transformed into the beast. " Clark's Adams apple bobbed as he swallowed before continuing, "Lois showed up and Doomsday launched a car at her."

"You had to reveal your abilities." Chloe correctly deduced.

Clark nodded, "I sheltered her as the car rebounded off me and then before Doomsday could retaliate I scooped her up and super sped away."

"To end a long story I told her everything, full disclosure." Chloe watched the pain and worry filter through Clark's eyes and across his face.

"She didn't take it very well did she?" Chloe questioned but was afraid that she already knew the answer.

Clark shook his head, "I think she was more disappointed than angry but we're not here to talk this."

Both Chloe and Oliver knew that the conversation was now over and that Clark would now put work ahead of his own personal feelings.

"So it's been confirmed? Davis is Doomsday?" Dinah Lance now spoke up, wanting to get down to business.

"Yes." Clark answered simply as the rest of the Justice League gathered around to sit in Oliver's living room.

Clark glanced around at all of his friends and realised for the first time that Bart Allen wasn't amongst them. "Where's Bart?"

"He's usually never late." Oliver smirked before taking a seat on the sofa.

A flash of red and yellow streaked into the room and Clark smiled, "Nice of you to join us."

"Amigo I'm right on time!" Bart smirked before giving Clark a little smack on the back before dropping his backpack at his feet.

"The gang's all here then," Oliver smiled a little before a dead serious look graced his face, "We need to come up with a game plan for removing Doomsday's presence."

"We still aren't fully aware of what he is capable of." Victor Stone spoke for the first time since Clark had arrived.

"His super strength rivals mine, he lifted the car as if it was nothing but I doubt that is his only ability." Clark informed the group of what he had witnessed.

"Clark's right, Doomsday was designed to be the ultimate destroyer he could be capable of anything." Chloe piped up.

Out of the group gathered to discuss the future of Doomsday, Chloe was the one that felt most guilty. Davis had become a friend and she had felt drawn to him but she now knew that it had been Brainiac manipulating both of them for his own purposes. Clark on the other hand had never gotten along with Davis and perhaps it was his subconscious warning him of the future danger he presented.

Chloe knew she didn't have anything to be guilty about regarding Davis but the situation with Lois was another kettle of fish. Chloe had been protecting Clark's secret for nearly as long as Lois had known him. Lois may be feeling disappointed in Clark but Chloe knew when her cousin found out that she had also been a party to keeping his secret Lois would feel betrayal.

"So what do we do?" Oliver asked the group.

"How do we defeat something that is unbeatable?" Dinah questioned a little cynically.

"Doomsday is extremely adaptable but there must be some way to beat him." Chloe said as she turned to Clark, "Jor-El has already provided you with some information; maybe he can help us with a way to defeat Doomsday!"

Clark shook his head, "The fortress is essentially dead and the connection to Jor-El is gone."

"Can you fix it?" Arthur questioned.

Clark shook his head again, "I don't know but I can try."

While they had been speaking Oliver's face had begun to look troubled, "We might have another problem."

All faces turned to stare at Oliver curiously.

"Lois." Oliver stated simply.

"Lois?" Clark questioned a little confused.

"She might be in danger because she now knows about Doomsday. Davis has been in all of our lives for months now; he knows how important Lois is." Oliver told them all.

Clark's brows furrowed in frustration, "You think he will go after her?"

Oliver shrugged, "It's a possibility. Can you really take the risk?"

Clark's eyes narrowed at Oliver's insinuation, could he really afford to have Lois in danger? Every day he fought to keep her out of trouble so even the slightest possibility of her being at risk had his defence systems flip into overdrive.

Lois might still be angry with him but she couldn't refuse his protection could she? He decided that he wasn't going to give her a choice to turn down his protection and he would find somewhere safe for her to stay but in the meantime she would need to go with him to the Fortress.

"I'll take her to the Fortress whilst I attempt to repair it. John Jones might be able to help me out. Chloe, do you want to come too?" Clark asked his closest friend.

Chloe shook her head, "No I'm needed here as Watchtower."

"Okay in the meantime we'll continue to patrol the streets and watch out for Doomsday." Oliver told the rest of the Justice League.

Clark gave a nod and indicated that he was going to go before getting into the lift.

* * *

Clark had super sped back to Smallville in record time. Arriving at the farm he was relieved to see a faint light glowing through one of the windows.

"Lois." He whispered before speeding into the house.

The lamp was still shining in the corner and a slight movement from the couch grabbed his attention. Shelby was coiled up on the floor in front of a sleeping Lois who was curled up on the couch. The scene melted Clark's heart and he stood just staring at her for several minutes.

She had no idea what she was in for.

TBC


	17. Waking Up

AN: I know this chapter is a little short but I have been sick and so I thought I would get something up to tide everyone over :-)

* * *

Eyes cracked open suddenly and glanced searchingly around in the near darkness.

Someone was watching her.

Lois shot up into a sitting position as tingles rolled down her spine.

"It's just me." The deep male voice that spoke she instantly recognised.

"Smallville! Why are watching me?" Lois questioned him curiously.

"Sorry." He murmured as he moved from his seat across the room to take one next to her.

"How are you?" Clark asked tentatively, not sure if he really wanted to know the answer.

"After the bombshell you dropped..." she trailed off as she stared up at him.

Clark bowed his head and remained silent.

Lois reached out and touched his arm, "Smallville," she began before simply waiting for him to look at her.

"I can understand why you need to keep a side of yourself hidden but what I don't understand is why you felt you needed to keep it hidden from me, I thought we were closer than that?" Lois asked him quietly.

Clark was surprised that Lois was questioning him in such a soft tone. He had fully expected that the next time he saw her she would be hurling abuse at him.

"Lois, I..." He would have continued but she had raised her hand up in the air in front of him and he knew better than to continue speaking.

"I know." Her tone was sharp and he began to feel that maybe the cease fire was over before it really began. Clark was disappointed when Lois failed to continue talking and he looked at her quizzically.

"What?" She shrugged interpreting the questioning glance with ease. But before Clark could speak she began talking again, only so fast that he had trouble keeping up with what she was saying.

"and I don't know where to go from here..." she eventually trailed off.

Clark let out a small chuckle at the way she had rambled on and was quickly rewarded with a thump in the side of the arm.

Lois smirked, "I guess there was no point in doing that was there?"

Clark shrugged. "Lois, I need to take you somewhere safe."

Lois' eyes narrowed, "What?"

"Doomsday tried to kill you earlier and he knows how I...." He broke off before confessing something he was sure either of them were ready for.

"Doomsday?" Lois asked confused.

"Davis Bloome is a genetically engineered destroyer known as Doomsday." Clark informed her.

"That creature is engineered?" Lois questioned curiously.

"He was designed by two renegade Kryptonians in order to destroy all of Earth's civilisations."

Clark could see the cogs working in Lois' brain, "So what does that have to do with me?"

"He knows who you are Lois. You now know his identity and he knows mine." Clark tried to explain it to her.

Lois threw her head back against the couch and closed her eyes, "He'll come after me to silence me."

"No. He'll come after you because of what you mean to me." Clark told her heatedly.

Lois' eyes flew open and she sat up and stared straight into Clark's eyes.

"I..." Lois opened her mouth to talk but was cut off by Clark, "I'm not going to let you get hurt because of my problems."

"How dangerous is he?" Lois asked but knew that she didn't really want to know the answer.

"His abilities rival mine." Clark stated simply.

Drawing her lip into her mouth Lois bit at it in frustration, "So where on Earth is it safe to hide from Godzilla?"

"I'm taking you with me to the Fortress." Clark told her in a no nonsense tone.

"You're going to leave me there?" Lois questioned as she jumped to her feet.

Clark shook his head, "No. The fortress is damaged and I need to find a way to repair it so that Jor-El can help me find a way to defeat Doomsday."

"You can't fight him!" Lois practically shouted.

Clark stood and moved in close to her, "I don't have a choice."

"Clark," she whispered, "if what you say is true then he could kill you. YOU!"

Lois was looking up at him, sadness clouding her eyes as the impact of what could happen reached them. Clark reached out his hand and pulled her head into his chest before wrapping his arms soundly around her.

He was actually surprised when instead of fighting him off she snuggled in against his chest. The scent of her hair wafted up through his nose and he gave a slight sigh at the irony of everything in his life.

After a few minutes she pulled away from him and took an unsteady step back, "This doesn't mean I forgive you."

Clark knew that it would take some time to regain Lois' trust but at the moment getting her out of harm's way was his top priority.

"I know."

TBC


	18. Clearing The Air

AN: Here is the next chapter. I've taken some liberties with how I think the Fortress of Solitude in Smallville works so I hope its all okay. Keep reviewing because I love to know what you all think :-)

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The cold air whipped around her face and she tugged the hood further down her face.

Lois tilted her head back and stared up at the massive dark crystalline structure standing before her. When Clark had initially told her that he had a fortress in the arctic she had quickly pictured it with tall walls and lookout posts. However what was in front of her was not a conventional fortress, it was much more.

"Amazing isn't it?" Clark's voice filtered over her shoulder and she turned to look at him.

Lois nodded, "There are no words that could do this place justice."

Clark laughed, "The Daily Planet's own Lois Lane can't find the right words. What is the world coming too?"

Lois quirked an eyebrow and shoved at Clark's shoulder, "Smallville."

Clark grinned before giving her more information, "The fortress is usually a bright white, so much more spectacular."

"How?" Lois asked him as he came to stand right beside her. Clark knew that she was asking about what had happened to the fortress and the fact that he could now share this part of his life with her had him feeling so free.

As they trudged through the snow Clark opened up to her about the series of events which had led to the fortress going dark and his father's voice and guidance slipping away from him just as he had begun to embrace it.

Lois had remained silent for the entirety of his speech but he knew it wasn't because she was disinterested; it was because she was trying to soak up every last piece of information.

Clark was happy that the communication between them was easy because he knew that inside Lois was still processing information and dealing with her disappointment in him.

* * *

Lois was content just listening to Clark share aspects of himself that he had always held back from her. Getting to see this new side of Clark just added to everything that she already knew about him and found so appealing.

She glanced over towards Clark and shook her head. Here she was rugged up in a thick parka, snow boots and gloves while he was standing before her in his customary jeans, shirt and jacket and in this context it brought a large smile to her face.

"What?" He asked curiously.

Her smile simply got larger and she used her hands to point towards his clothes, "Just seems a little out of place."

Clark chuckled and then shrugged, "Back home I have to make a conscious effort to wear jackets when it's cold or else I would stand out. Here I don't have to worry about that."

Just listening to Clark talk about his heritage had made her momentarily forget about all of the worries currently in her life but entering the Fortress brought the reason why they were here to the foreground.

Her steps faltered for a moment and she stopped walking. It took Clark several moments to realise that she was no longer standing alongside him.

"Lois?" Clark said as his eyes search her out.

"How long do I have to hide?" Her voice echoed around the chamber.

Clark could hear the frustration lacing Lois' voice and he knew it was because things were moving out of her control and that was something Lois hated, losing control of a situation.

"Until its safe," He answered her question succinctly.

Clark was surprised when Lois let out a small shout of frustration and she flung her hands into the air.

"I always face things head on and the fact that I have to put everything in my life on hold is starting to get to me."

Clark grimaced, "This is entirely my fault and I am so sorry Lois."

Lois shook her head from side to side and took one step towards him, "Stop beating yourself up about this Smallville. Do you not know me? I attract trouble but I also actively seek it out, it's who I am! If being in the know about your secret means I have to lay low for a while then it's worth it!"

Clark's eyes never left her face as he moved to stand directly in front of her, "Things always seem to get out of hand in my life and I've never wanted you to get hurt because of my secret."

Lois' gloved hand reached out and she placed it tentatively on his chest, "Seeing you be so open about who you really are makes me think that maybe I've been missing out on the real Clark Kent all of these years."

Her eyes met his and the intensity in his gaze made her stomach churn, "I may have held back on some information and made some lame excuses but you've always been able to read me."

Lois decided that while they were having this little heart to heart that she would approach the subject both of them had clearly been avoiding.

"When it comes to us," she indicated between the two of them with her hands, "it seems to be one step forward and then two steps back. We agreed to keep things on the work field but we both know that didn't exactly work."

Lois watched as Clark gulped nervously, "Lois, I...."

"Did it mean anything?" The question was rapidly fired at him and he wasn't completely sure if he should answer. The light hearted atmosphere had been suddenly replaced by one fraught with tension. Was it the right time to be having such a deep and meaningful conversation? It was only yesterday that she had discovered his true heritage and he was still trying to catch her up with all of the relevant information.

Clark knew he didn't have much time left to form an answer as Lois' foot was making a constant crunching sound as she tapped it against the snow.

"Yes." He answered her simply.

Her foot stilled and her face took on a thoughtful look, "Was it Tom?"

"Lois this isn't really the time, I have to..." he tried to back out of the conversation but the murderous look on Lois' face dissuaded him from doing so.

"Seeing you with him..." Clark trailed off but Lois knew she had her answer. The farm boy from Smallville was in as deep as she was.

"I think we both rely on denial a little too much," Lois finally whispered before moving away from him.

"You have work to do but don't think for a second that this conversation is finished," She threw the warning over her shoulder.

"I wouldn't expect anything less," Clark gave a small smile and moved further into the fortress.

* * *

Lois flipped through the magazine for a third time before chucking it haphazardly onto the icy ground beside her.

Before they'd raced up to the fortress Clark had given her the time to pack a few items of food and other things into a small duffle bag so she wouldn't be completely bored while he worked. The items had claimed her attention for about ten seconds before the need to explore the fortress had consumed her.

Having spent the last several hours wandering around the Kryptonian fortress she'd made her way lazily back to the main chamber. Clark was right where she had left him, sitting in front of a large console surrounded by crystals.

The crystals varied in sizes and it seemed that Clark was no closer to restoring the fortress than he had been when she had left. Lois had decided to not interrupt him and instead read a magazine she had hastily shoved into her bag.

With the magazine now resting on the ground she decided to see if she could offer him any assistance, "Need any help Smallville?"

Clark glanced up from the crystals he was working with to the woman now approaching him, "I'm not sure what you can do Lois, I'm not even sure what I'm doing."

"Have you never had to fix this before?" Lois indicted the console.

Clark shook his head, "I've always had access to this console but have only ever used it with guidance."

"Jor-El right?" Lois asked.

Clark nodded, "At one stage my uncle hijacked the fortress and I watched program the console like it was computer but I've never replicated that behaviour. I've never needed to."

"Your uncle?" Lois asked curiously.

"Long story." Clark replied with a small smile.

"So it's all guess work?" Lois asked.

"Pretty much. All the power in here is controlled by this console and it should be able to regenerate but it's basically had the life suck out of it." Clark decided to give her the abridged version of what had happened to the fortress. The entire story would take too long to tell her and at the moment he needed to get his father back on-line.

"So is it just the power that is the problem?" Lois asked him as she plonked herself onto the ground next to him.

"No. This fortress held all of the knowledge of Krypton and if this knowledge is gone then the fortress might not be salvageable."

"You'll figure it out." Lois told him before jumping back onto her feet, "but you're not going to do it if I am annoying you all the time."

"Thanks Lois." Clark smiled before picking a crystal up off the ground.

"Anytime Smallville."

* * *

The creature moved through the shadows as it approached its target. It knew that if she was anywhere it would be hidden on his farm.

A golden retriever rushed out of the barn and began barking crazily at the creature but it ignored the dog and continued its search.

The house and barn were both in complete darkness and after a cursory search it knew she wasn't on the farm.

"Where would you hide her Kal-El?" The creature known as Doomsday asked into the silence.

It didn't matter that she wasn't here because he knew that once he did find Lois Lane then his destruction of Kal-El and Earth could finally begin.

TBC


	19. Ultimatum

AN: Hi, so sorry for the long wait between chapters. Please forgive me :-)

* * *

Clark pushed another crystal into the panel and prayed that this time he had found the right combination to jumpstart the fortress back into life. The minutes ticked by and he growled in frustration as another attempt failed. Clark knew that he was running out of time to fix the fortress and that he would need to confront Doomsday soon in order to stop the annihilation of everything he loved.

_Love_

The word floated around in his mind for several minutes until he risked a glance over to where a certain brunette was residing. He could tell by the way Lois was fidgeting that she was bored but she hadn't said anything to him in several hours. Clark knew that she wasn't impressed with his scheme to dispose of Doomsday but there didn't seem to be any other alternative until he could talk to Jor-El.

Clark realised that he had always been judgemental of Jor-El but deep down he really did appreciate the guidance his biological father had provided him over the years. Ramming a crystal into the panel rather forcefully Clark was surprised when it started to glow, faintly at first but then with a growing brightness.

Scrunching his eyes closed for a brief moment he prayed thanks to whoever was listening.

"Some action at last," Lois' voice came from directly behind him. A smile lit up his face and the same was reflected on Lois'.

"The fortress might be active but that doesn't guarantee that Jor-El's presence is still here." Clark told Lois.

Both watched as the darkness of the fortress receded and colour started to seep back into the crystalline features.

"Wow." Lois breathed before glancing at Clark and asking, "What now?"

"Now I need to see if Jor-El is still here!" Clark told her before moving away from the panel and towards the centre of the room.

"Jor-El?" Clark all but screamed.

Lois watched in fascination as Clark tried to get an answer.

"Jor-El?"

Several tense and silent moments passed, he'd known it was a long shot but it had been worth a try. Turning around to face Lois he shrugged his shoulders in a show of defeat.

"That can't be it." Lois exclaimed before taking several steps toward him.

"I don't know what else to do." Clark muttered.

"You need to do something! You can't face that thing alone." Lois replied rather forcefully.

"I have to do this with or without his help." Clark told her before taking yet another step closer to her.

"You could die." Lois voice came out as a whisper.

Clark knew that it was a big possibility but if he had to die to save an innumerable amount of people than that was what he had to do. The people of Metropolis and the world for that matter didn't ask for a Kryptonian beast to destroy them all.

Lois' tongue darted out to wet her parched lips before she squeezed them together in agitation.

"Smallville," Lois choked as she took the final step that brought them into each other's personal space. Clark reached a hand out to touch her face and sighed.

"All I ever wanted to do was keep you away from all of this." He whispered.

"I know and that's why I can't be angry at you for keeping it from me." Lois murmured as her eyes met Clark's.

Their gazes remained locked and each knew that this was possibly goodbye. Clark's hand was still on her face so she nuzzled cheek further into its embrace. She felt her head tilting forward as Clark's faced closed in on hers. Closing her eyes in anticipation of what she knew was coming Lois couldn't contain the butterfly's that were fluttering around her stomach. Clark's breath was fanning her face and she knew that it would only be a matter of moments before his lips met hers.

"My Son," A deep voiced boomed causing Lois to jerk away from Clark in surprise.

Clark looked a little dazed but only took a fraction of a second to compose himself.

"Father."

"Kal-El, you have done well to repair this fortress after the damage caused by the Brain Interactive Construct." Jor-El's voice echoed around the chamber.

"I need your guidance." Clark told his father.

"You have brought another with you, for what purpose?" Jor-El questioned his only child.

Clark opened his mouth to explain the situation but was cut off by another voice.

"I can speak for myself," Lois called out, "I am only here because...Kal-El needed to protect me from a creature known as Doomsday."

"Lois Lane. Why would a creature such as Doomsday be intent on harming you?" Jor-El enquired.

Lois was astounded that Jor-El knew her name. Biting her lip in agitation Lois realised that Clark had not fully elaborated on why Doomsday was after her.

"Lois is here because of what she means to me." Clark explained easily while managing to avoid Lois' probing gaze.

"You believe Doomsday to use your feelings for the human woman against you?" Jor-El questioned Clark.

"Yes." Clark nodded.

"I will give you a way to defeat Doomsday but there will be a consequence for this knowledge." Jor-El told his son.

"In exchange for the knowledge of how to defeat Doomsday you must consent to begin your Kryptonian training."

"That sounds like an ultimatum? You would allow multitudes of humans to die in order for me to begin my training?" Clark asked in disbelief.

Lois was a little confused, though she had been clued in on most things related to Clark's heritage he had never brought up anything about training. She watched the thunderous expression begin to cloud Clark's face and knew that this training meant trouble.

"You are here for a purpose Kal-El and you have yet to fulfil that purpose." Jor-El simply stated.

'_I need more time!' _The words werescreaming in his head but Clark knew that he couldn't voice them to his father. He couldn't stand by and watch Doomsday kill innocent people when he had a way to fight him at his fingertips.

"You have made many difficult choices and this will be no different." Jor-El's voice rang out again as if he sensed Clark's hesitation.

Clark's eyes slowly moved to where he knew Lois was standing. If he began his training he would have to cut all ties with the people in his life for an indefinite period of time. He knew what he had to do but was he ready to let her go?

He knew that Lois had no real inkling of what Jor-El was asking of him and he couldn't tell her yet. If Lois asked him to stay then he knew there was a great chance that he would regardless of the consequences.

Squeezing his eyes shut for a moment Clark resolved to follow through on his promise to Jor-El this time but on one condition.

"I agree," Clark called out, "however it is only on the condition that you watch over Lois while I am facing Doomsday."

"No harm will come to Lois Lane while she resides within this fortress." Jor-El responded.

"Smallville?" the nickname washed over him and he felt his stomach bunch up.

"Lois," Clark muttered before making a spur of the moment decision.

One second Lois had been calling out his name and the next in a gust of wind he was right in front of her. His hands framed her face and pulled her head towards his. His lips attacked hers fervently and she responded just as eagerly. Mouths duelled for control and tongues tasted the sweetness that neither wanted to let go of. Minutes passed but it only felt like seconds. Clark tore his mouth from hers and tried to gulp in some much needed air. Lois simply stared at him dumbfounded.

"I needed to do that one last time." Clark whispered to her.

'_One last time' _the words reverberated around Lois' head, surely there would be more opportunities?

However before she had the chance to ask Jor-El interrupted the moment.

"My son it is time."

TBC


	20. Answers

So I have finally picked this story back up. Better late than never. I'm not exactly sure if I am completely happy with this, so let me know what you think!

"_I needed to do that one last time." Clark whispered to her._

'_One last time' __the words reverberated around Lois' head, surely there would be more opportunities?_

_However before she had the chance to ask Jor-El interrupted the moment._

"_My son it is time."_

_  
_

Lois stood in the same position for several minutes, dumbfounded by what she had just happened. Questions were rapidly firing through her head at a pace that she couldn't begin to keep up with,

'What is the training?', 'What is the plan?'

"What is going on?" she finally voiced, figuring that this question might get her a broader answer before she asked more specific things. Things in her life had become significantly more complicated in the last month but there was nothing that she...they couldn't work out together, right?

"Clark, what is going on?" Lois repeated herself but this time was a little more forceful.

She watched his eyes flit from side to side and his Adams apple bob. Something was right and she was pretty sure that whatever he had to tell her was not going to sit well.

"Lois," Clark murmured as he took a step closer to her, "I've made a deal with my father."

"Deal?" Lois echoed dumbly. Her stomach was beginning to clench in a way that was making her anxious. Lois didn't like the sad look that seemed to be emanating from Clark's eyes.

"My father has requested that I begin my Kryptonian training in exchange for a way to defeat Doomsday." Clark choked on several words and Lois could tell that there was more to this than he was revealing.

Lois narrowed her eyes and got up in Clark's personal space, "What aren't you telling me Smallville?"

Clark smiled sadly, trust Lois to pick that he was holding back.

"What did you mean by _one last time?" _Lois asked him another question and Clark knew he needed to start answering them or he'd have to face Lois's wrath.

"My training means that..." Clark paused not exactly sure how to blurt out what he needed to say, "I need to remain here."

"You can come back, right?" Lois asked. Clark simply shook his head and waited for Lois to comprehend exactly what he meant. He knew she had realised the implications when her eyes shot to his with a look of utter disbelief.

"No." She whispered.

"I'm sorry." Clark murmured.

"How long?" Lois demanded.

"I don't know." Clark answered honestly. He watched as Lois's defensive walls rose and anger began to cloud her face.

"Days? Months? Years? How long?" Lois took a step back and asked in a loud voice. Clark knew that the question wasn't directed at him but at Jor-El. He didn't know if his father would answer Lois but she needed answers to questions that he couldn't respond to.

"Lois Lane." Jor-El's voice boomed, "Your anger will not change the circumstances surrounding Kal-El's training."

"I want some answers," Lois called out. Clark watched with a hint of amusement at the way Lois was addressing Jor-El.

"Kal-El will be engaged in his training for several Earth years in which he must not have contact with any humans from his life as Clark Kent."

Clark could see that the answers Lois was receiving were not the ones that she was looking for. Clark did not want to leave her or any other aspect of his life for as long as he needed to but it was something that had to be done to in order to fulfil his destiny and protect mankind.

"Why?" Lois whispered barely loud enough for another person to hear but his hearing picked up the distressed plea.

"Kal-El was always destined for great things; his training is simply the means to achieve his destiny. He did ensure that you, Lois Lane would be protected while he engages with Doomsday."

Lois who had seemed to forget about Clark's presence suddenly whirled around and faced him, her face was a cloud of anger and Clark knew he was about to get a lash of Lois's sharp tongue.

"I. Can. Look. After. Myself." She punctuated each word slowly in order to get her point across.

Lois knew she was over-reacting, something which she seemed to do quite frequently. The hurt and anger over road her sense of reasonability and she felt like going on the attack in order to cover the ache currently eating its way into her chest.

"I know." Clark replied simply and waited for her reaction.

"You don't need to do this. Not now. Not when we..." Lois paused and hoped that Clark could fill in the blanks.

"I'm sorry." He told her for the second time. There really were no words that conveyed exactly how affected he was by the whole situation. Revealing himself to Lois had allowed him to completely be himself around her and it felt great to finally let go. It seemed that every time he neared some sort of happiness his destiny stood in the way.

"Sometimes we need to make sacrifices." Clark whispered to Lois as she slowly approached him. He could see the water begin to well behind her eyes and hated that he was going to be the cause of her tears. Lois remained silent until she was once again standing directly in front of him. He reached out to wipe a tear that had bubbled over and was steadily making its way down her left cheek. As he went to move his hand away she quickly reached up and held his hand against the side of her face.

"I want you to stay but that's selfish. I can't compete with your greater destiny Smallville." Lois murmured.

"It's not a competition." Clark leaned forward and captured her lips with his. Lips tugged slowly and sweetly as if savouring the feel of each other. Clark pulled away and rested his head against Lois's.

"Everything I do is to protect those I love."

"I know," Lois told him, "but I can't sit in the shadows hoping that you come home. I need to be there amongst the action, finding the truth."

"I can't promise you anything. I don't know when I'll be back." Clark told her as he pulled his head away and dropped his hands back to his sides.

Lois shrugged, "I'll get on with my life, move forward like I always have."

"I can't ask you to wait for me." Clark told her sadly, "You need to find someone who'll be there every day."

"I thought that someone was you Clark!" Lois cried out, "Beneath all the bickering and bantering is a connection that I have never felt with anyone before. It's like you know what I need before I even know."

Clark shook his head and opened his mouth to reply but he was interrupted.

"Kal-El, Doomsday grows impatient in his search. You need to confront him soon if you are to succeed." Jor-El's voice echoed throughout the cavern, swiftly ending the strained conversation.

"We will finish this later Smallville." Lois instructed Clark before reaching out and pulling him into an embrace that she hoped exuded everything she was currently feeling. Lois quickly released him and moved to sit with her belongings.

Clark took one last look at Lois and turned to leave but the sound of her voice had him looking back.

"Clark, just come back."

"I will."

TBC


	21. Unexpected

Lois watched with a heavy heart as Clark super sped out of the fortress to confront Doomsday. She turned swiftly and moved back to where she had dumped all of her belongings. Lois set about picking them up and placing them in neat and tidy rows, anything to distract her. It worked for all of 45 seconds before she plopped herself on to the ground and stared around at the crystal fortress. Sitting and doing nothing had not been something she had ever coped well with, preferring to be amongst the action doing what she could to help. Clark had not really given her a choice and she knew he feared for her life. Doomsday would use her to draw out Clark and expose his human feelings as a weakness.

'_Why?' _

'_Why Clark?' _

That question had multiple other ones attached to it that she couldn't even begin to delve into. The young and naked farm boy that she had met all of those years ago was not as simple and plain as he tried to make out. Clark had a depth about him that one could take forever to break through. She knew know that Clark's pity parties were his primary way of dealing with his guilt, whether over a failed save or having to withhold parts of himself from those he loved.

Lois knew that her connection with Clark was different to any other man that had been in her life but was it strong enough to deal with not having him in her life for what could be several years? Could the flame of something that had never really been allowed to burn be sustained for a prolonged period of time? Lois knew that Clark didn't want her to put her life on hold for years whilst he trained. Was it fair to either of them?

Just thinking about how fast everything in her life had become murky and complicated was making her tired and frustrated. Throughout all of this Lois hadn't even given one thought to Tom, the man she was supposed to be dating. Shaking her head in attempts to rid herself of her jumbled thoughts Lois pulled a sweater out of her bag. Bunching it up into a small ball she lowered it under her head and let her eyes flutter closed.

Lois was abruptly roused from sleep by a thumping sound. It was quiet at first like someone was knocking on a door several hundred metres away.

The thumping sound gradually grew louder and louder. The vibrations were causing the icy crystals to quiver and shards of debris began to fall from the ceiling.

Quickly jumping to her feet, Lois moved over to stand beside a pillar hoping this would be the safest place from the falling chunks of ice.

"Jor-El! What is happening?" She screamed out into the fortress hoping the artificial intelligence would answer back. The thumping continued and the fortress began to shake with the force of the vibrations. Lois waited for Jor-El to enlighten her as to what was the hell was going on.

Thoughts raced through Lois's head about what she should do. Should she wait for Clark's father to answer her? Or should she try and get out of the Fortress in case it collapsed? Neither alternative was too appealing at the moment. Lois knew that what lay outside of the Fortress was the desolate snow plains of the Arctic and that without the protection of the Fortress she would not survive for long. If she called out to Clark would he hear her? Could he feel her distress? There were so many things she still did not know about his abilities but she couldn't pull him away from his own mission until she knew what was happening.

"Jor-El" Lois screamed again, desperation lacing her voice as the thumping continued.

The seconds ticked by and Lois decided she would just have to find her own answers. Pushing away from the pillar she sprinted towards the direction the thumping was emanating from. Debris was still falling erratically and Lois found it difficult to avoid all of the falling pieces. Emerging from a passageway and into a large cavernous area Lois gazed around for the source of the pounding. The room though similar to the main chamber lacked the crystal consoles and reminded Lois of an entrance hall. Crystalline formations protruded from the walls to create an impressive crossover archway that was the focus of the room. This though was not all that drew her attention. A blue hue throbbed at the far end of the room drawing Lois's gaze. The thumping was originating from behind what looked like a wall.

Taking a step out into the middle of the room, ice and snow crunched beneath her boot. Lois didn't get more than a metre before a loud booming voice erupted throughout the chamber.

"Lois Lane, You must not approach."

"What is going on?" She yelled over the thunderous sounds drowning out the Fortress.

"Doomsday is here." Jor-El supplied concisely.

'_Doomsday is here' _was not nearly enough information for Lois Lane.

"Why?" Lois asked needing to know why Doomsday had chosen to attack the Fortress whilst Clark was out looking for it.

"The creature's intentions are unknown," Jor-El stated before continuing, "This structure is not currently performing at full capacity. Resources are being diverted in order to restrict Doomsdays entrance into this Fortress. Your safety is paramount Lois Lane."

Lois bit down on her lip as anxiety flooded her body. She had nowhere to go and Jor-El could only hold off Doomsday for a limited time. The blue hue must be acting as some sort of force field to prevent Doomsdays using his abilities to simply crack through the ice.

Lois could feel the sudden chill in the air and knew that Jor-El was diverting any and all resources available to keeping Doomsday at bay in order to protect her.

There was only one option still available to her.

Time was running out.

"CLARK!"

AN: After such a long time away from this story I have finally added another chapter. I will endeavour to go back through the earlier chapters and make sure that everything flows! Meanwhile I hope that you enjoy and please review. Let me know what you think! I will have the next chapter up soon!


	22. New Information

Keeping his head forward and resisting the temptation to get one last glance at her Clark sped out of his fortress and back south to Metropolis. The landscape blurred around him but he didn't even seem to notice. Why did he feel like he had just left the most important part of his life defenceless? He needed to make things right with Lois but things always had a habit of getting in the way, this last world ending crisis notwithstanding. By bringing Lois to the Fortress and asking for help, Clark had revealed to his biological father the extent of his feelings for her.

Leaving Lois there was the safest place for her and Jor-El would use all available resources to protect her in his absence. However, niggling at the back of his mind was the knowledge that Doomsday knew where the Fortress was located! It was how the Fortress had been damaged in the first place when Chloe had infected the consoles with Brainiac.

Tormenting himself with 'what if' scenarios was not helpful when he needed to be focused on the battle to come. Clark forced himself to concentrate on the task at hand and push any irrational thoughts aside. His phone beeped in his pocket and it was a relief to know that he finally had service again. Without even slowing down he reached into his pocket and dug his phone out. A message from Chloe was printed on the screen.

_Isis Foundation A.S.A.P. _

_Have a lead._

Clark hoped the lead was good and solid. It didn't sit well with him that even now Doomsday was out there luring people into a false sense of security. Going on rampages and hurting innocents. Davis had no chance in controlling the dark side inside of him, Clark understood that but he still hoped that maybe he could draw out the good if only for a moment. Anything that would tip the scales in his favour!

It was a long shot, the evil in Davis was strong and seductive but he had been keeping it at bay by disposing of what he perceived were 'bad guys'. Clark knew this didn't dismiss his ruthless behaviour and knew that he was the only one with enough force to even stand a chance at disposing of this enemy from his homeland!

A persistant ring knocked Clark from his thoughts. Looking down at the screen he was surprised to see 'Tess_ Mercer' _appear in the caller I.D.

Clark's brows furrowed as he read his bosses name. Tess Mercer had been getting suspiciously closer to his secret and Clark was not exactly sure of the knowledge she held or had access too. It couldn't be a coincidence that she would be calling him at this time, could it?

Dropping out of super speed and into a more normal pace, Clark stopped on a hill overlooking a large valley. Hitting the answer key and pressing the phone against his ear he barked into the phone, "This better be important."

"Is that any way to speak to your boss?" Tess Mercer sneered.

"Tess," Clark almost growled, "I don't have time for games."

"How about a little help then?" Tess asked him smugly.

Clark's head cocked to the side, "Help?" he questioned.

"Davis Bloom...or should I say Doomsday," Tess declared bodly and Clark then knew he had his answer. Tess Mercer knew a lot more about things than she let on.

"I'm listening," Clark responded quickly.

"Lionel had quite the collection," Tess alluded to Lionel Luthor's Veritas notebooks about Krytpton and the 'Traveler'.

"and..." Clark continued coyly, trying not to tip his hand yet still find out the information that he needed.

"Let's just say that in Davis' case, that which kills you makes you stronger..." Tess trailed off, leaving Clark to make his own assumptions.

Clark's mind raced with the new information. Did this mean that anything he tried to kill Doomsday with would just make him a stronger entity? That he would regenerate into something even more dangerous? Eventually becoming impervious to all forms of damage?

"There is only one option," Tess' voice cut his thoughts short and brought him back to the conversation.

Clark knew to what she was referring and voiced his thoughts, "Imprisonment."

"You catch on quick Kent," Tess replied before adding, "I hope you know how to do that..."

Clark was just about to reply when a voice activated his super hearing, "CLARK!"

"Lois," he whispered.

"Lane?" Tess' voice echoed down the line. Without even replying Clark hit the end button and shoved his phone in his pocket.

Something was seriously wrong.


End file.
